Heartstrings
by dev.daily
Summary: He was a conservative country boy in the Air Force. She was a dancing mixed girl from Jersey. Gabriella hadn't gone out on New Year's Eve with the intention of picking up a suitor, but she had. And he'd been tugging on her heartstrings ever since. But could those heartstrings withstand everything that comes with being a Military Significant Other and the normal clashes of new love?
1. Chapter 1: Yesterday

**Chapter 1: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...The Meeting**

_"Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away  
Now it looks as though they're here to stay  
Oh, I believe in yesterday  
Yesterday, love was such an easy game to play  
Now I need a place to hide away  
Oh, I believe in yesterday"  
_

_'Yesterday' by the Beatles_

* * *

**January 13, 2013**

Gabriella sat on the couch, watching a Nicholas Sparks movie and making her way through a box of Thin Mint cookies. It was nearly seven-thirty and she had just changed into Troy's Air Force sweatshirt. It wasn't the same as having him with her, but it was as close as she could get since he'd volunteered to work in hospitals in Afghanistan to help with children who'd gotten stuck in the middle of gunfire. Just as the couple in the movie were sharing their first kiss, the sound of the doorbell filled the downstairs level of her home. Ever since she had moved into Troy's place, she'd hated for the doorbell to ring unexpectedly. She walked toward the door, peeking through the peep-hole. Her worst fears were confirmed, outside of her home were two men in dress blues.

She yanked the door open, needing for them to tell her they'd gotten the addresses mixed up, that they were looking for another MSO. "Ms. Montez?" the shorter of the two men questioned, taking his hat off in the process.

She pulled at the sleeves of the sweatshirt, wishing that it would swallow her whole. Words escaped her. She simply nodded her head.

"Ma'am, we regret to inform you that there was an accident. About three days ago, the hospital where Master Sergeant Bolton was working was bombed." Three days? Why was she just finding out about this? "Ms. Montez, he is in critical condition. Doctors say that they can't guarantee that he'll make a full recovery or even regain consciousness. We're sorry, Miss."

Her heartbeat sped up as she tried to process the words. Her hand instinctively cupped her stomach. "Where is he?" her voice came out, without her even recognizing it.

"He was treated overseas and he's been airlifted to the hospital on Naval Station Norfolk."

Gabriella's body started moving strictly on instinct. She closed the door, walking to put on a pair of yoga pants instead of the pajama shorts she currently had on. Making her way to the car, she was working on autopilot. She didn't want to think too much or she'd stress and that wasn't good for her health. She couldn't think too much or she'd think of all of the possible outcomes of this situation. Troy could wake up and be fine. He could wake up with brain damage or paralyzation. No matter the outcome, there would be PTSD involved, she feared that she had lost her Troy forever.

\\\\

She was maneuvering her way through the maze of hallways. She'd finally arrived at the hospital and was being directed to Intensive Care. "Ms. Montez," the nurse started, breaking her out thoughts. "he's hooked up to a lot of machines. He's on a high dosage of medicine, so please don't expect too much. We're not expecting him to wake up and you shouldn't get your hopes high either."

Gabriella had been sitting beside Troy's bed for hours, now. She hadn't dared move. He looked so fragile, so pale. her strong Airmen was now a ghostly white, injury-covered, man. She scooted the chair closer to him, taking his hand- cautious of the wires and the IV. "Troy, I don't know who you think you are, but you're gonna wake up. I put way too much into this- I'm too invested, now. I'm carrying your baby. Your little boy, your son, Troy. If you think you can leave now, you have another thing coming." she joked, hoping to see his blue orbs crinkle at the corner with a smile.

They didn't.

"Do you remember the night we met, Troy?" Her tears were falling freely. "I do. And I've loved you since then. That night was perfect..."

* * *

**December 31, 2011**

God, is this what people did around here on New Year's Eve? Gabriella's eyes skimmed the packed bar and grille, hoping that there would be an empty spot somewhere for her. She didn't require much room after, she was alone. She stepped forward, moving her brown gaze towards the hostess. The redhead had obviously had a long day, she directed her vibrant blue eyes toward Gabriella before letting her her high pitched voice fall from her mouth.

"Hey, I'm Misti!" Her southern drawl, which was common of this particular Virginia town, coated each syllable of her greeting. "How many in your party, ma'am?"

"Oh, just one. Just me." Gabriella replied, quickly.

"That's no way to spend New Year's!" she nearly shouted, obviously taken aback. "I don't mean to pry, but you don't have anybody to spend the night with? No boyfriend? Gal pals?"

"Uh, n-no. I'm new to the area, haven't really met anyone yet." she countered, in a sheepish voice.

"No need to worry, we're friendly round these parts. A pretty girl like you won't be friendless for long. And your wait won't be long either, long as the bar is okay." Misti told her.

Gabriella looked up scanning the bar, seeing one seat open. It was smack dab in the center of the counter and stuck between two men, chatting with their respective friends. She knew she should have just gotten some takeout and rung in the new year at home with her dog, Fitz. "It'll be fine." Gabriella blurted, letting her growling stomach get the best of her. She clutched her purse to her side, making her way through the packed space of the restaurant's foyer. She slipped into the seat, immediately ordering a Shirley Temple. Apparently catching the attention of the man next to her.

He turned, eyeing her up. She took him in, in his entirety, now. His bed-head type hair, cerulean eyes, and bulging biceps screamed male model. The camo fleece strewn on the back of his chair, combined with the battered baseball cap sitting next to his beer screamed typical country hick. He opened his mouth to talk, smiling first, and showing off his pearly white teeth. "I couldn't help to overhear your drink order miss, but did you just get a virgin Shirley Temple?" he asked, his southern twang failing to cover the chuckle in the back of his throat.

"I did." Gabriella told the stranger, rather indignantly.

"Pardon my heathen ways, miss. I suppose I shoulda introduced myself first, huh?" he questioned. "I guess I was just distracted by you. I don't know if you noticed but we don't exactly have women like you around here."

"Women like me? " she asked, picking up the drink that had been sat in front of her and taking a sip, looking back at the man questioningly. He nodded toward the bartender, indicating that he was waiting on her Gabriella.

"Oh, sorry to keep you waiting. Um, I'll just have the grilled chicken sandwich with tomato and lettuce. Steamed broccoli, instead of fries for my side." she told him, with a smile. She handed the menu back over the counter.

"We _really_ don't have women like you around here." He told her, reiterating his point. Gabriella's quizzical look returned as she turned her head back toward him, seeing that he had abandoned the conversation with the man sitting next to him and had turned on his barstool to completely face her.

"Well first off, you don't have blonde straight hair." he started, eyeing her curly near-black locks, "Those eyes and your tan, that isn't orange, mean you're from someplace besides little ole Virginia or the Carolina's. You're not wearing a plaid shirt and you talk like you're from up north. To top it all off, I brought plenty girls here on dates, and none of 'em ever ordered a grilled chicken sandwich. They get chicken tenders." he listed off, smirking at her. "The name's Troy." he told her, flashing that bright smile and extending his hand.

Gabriella took it, giving him a weak shake. Quickly, Gabriella turned toward the plate that had been sat in front of her. She picked up her fork, taking a quick bite of the broccoli and trying to ignore the feeling of the eyes burning a hole into the side of her head. She took half of the sandwich in her hands, bit into it and turned to look back at him. He was smirking as he watched her eat.

Gabriella swallowed the bite, "Yes?"

"Aren't you gonna tell me your name?" he questioned, taking a sip out of a second bottle of beer.

She took another bite of the sandwich, watching him intently, as she chewed carefully. "Gabriella."

"And you're from Massachusetts, Gabriella?" he asked, commenting on the sweatshirt she was wearing, which proudly displayed her college.

"That's where I went to school. I'm a jersey girl." she commented, looking down at her leopard print Vans sneakers, a little hint into love of animal print.

"Well, Miss Gabriella, my mama always wanted me to marry a southern belle, but I think she'd make an exception for someone as beautiful as you."

Gabriella looked to him, boys at home were forward but not about marriage. They just wanted sex. She looked at him, his bright blue eyes still shining as he stared intently back.

"I'd like to get to know you more, Miss." he whispered, leaning in closer to the brown eyed girl.

"Then get to know me." she responded, giving into the southern charm of the boy, earning a smile in response

"Well, if you don't mind, I'd like to get back to my original question. Why are you drinkin' a virgin drink, alone on New Year's Eve?"

"Simple: I'm a lightweight with no friends." she replied, finishing off the food on her plate, leaving the crust from her bun in a ring. Gabriella looked back to him ready for his next question.

"What brought down here, Ms. New Jersey?" he inquired, ordering her a second drink.

"I got a job at the dance studio as head choreographer. The pay was better than any of my other offers, so I packed it all up and drove my Prius down here." she answered honestly. "What about you, Troy? What is it that you do?"

"If I tell you, you won't believe me." he tested out, taking a swig of the glass of water that had been placed in front of him; he had to drive tonight.

"Try me."

"Don't laugh." he warned."I'm one of the dancers in the company at the studio." he let out, suppressing a smile.

"Bullshit. I don't believe you for a second. How many basic positions are there in ballet?" she quizzed him.

He looked around, searching for a way out. "Enough to let me off the hook for lyin' to you this early in the friendship?"

"Who said I even want to be your friend, liar?" she asked him, returning the smirk he'd been sending her all night.

"What are you doin' tonight? You got any plans?"

"Not with you, you won't even tell me what your job is!" she exclaimed, turning to face him fully.

"I'm a pediatrician in the Air Force. I'm stationed at Langley. It's a ways away." he let out, sighing. Around here men usually went on to work at the factories or in construction. Troy, a pretty boy as he was often dubbed, was commonly looked down upon for not doing man's work like the boys he'd grown up with. He didn't like divulging that to prospective girlfriends right away It's not that being in the Air Force made him a 'sissy', it was just that around here when guys went into service it was almost always the Army. .

"I would have never guess that." she mumbled before answering his prior question, "And I'm going home to watch the ball drop on television with my dog. I'll call my mom and be in bed before 12:15." she answered, collecting her bag and preparing to stand up and leave the inquisitive boy sitting at the bar.

He stood up, reaching out for her to stop her from leaving. "You're comin' out with me, tonight." he told her. "Did you drive here?"

"I walked and I'm about to walk to home."

"No, I'm driving. You can't spend New Year's Eve alone. This might not be the city, but us country folk do know how to throw a party." He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the door, stopping at Misti. He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Don't burn yourself out."

"I won't, Tripp." She told him, with a warm smile, before she saw Gabriella standing next to him. "See! I told you that you wouldn't be alone for long..." she trailed off, realizing she had never gotten the name of the shorter girl.

"Gabriella." she filled in the ginger haired girl.

"Take care of her, Tripp." she said, pushing the two out of the door.

"Tripp? Is that another lie?" Gabriella questioned as he guided her in the direction of his Chevy pick-up truck. He opened the door, helping her in the lifted truck as he rubbed the back of his neck at the question.

"It's an-uh a childhood nickname. Misti's my little sister. She's called me that since she could talk. Then my whole family started calling me it, then it kinda spread to my friends and everyone else."

"Did she just make it up?"

"No, I was a little rambunctious and my mom always called me by my full name, Troy Phillip, she put the beginning of Troy with the ending of Phillip and I haven't been able to drop the name since then." he said, smirking as he pulled up to a red light and looking to her. "That and I was the worst kid on my baseball team and tripped every time I ran bases..." he said quietly, trailing off.

"That's cute." She told him with a genuine smile, before she realized what she had said. Gabriella turned away from him, moving to turn up the volume on his radio. The sound of Josh Turner's "Time is Love" filled the cab of the Troy's truck.

Troy turned as he noticed the scrunch of Gabriella's nose at the start of the country song. "If it's not your cup of tea, you can find something else."

"This is fine..." Gabriella told him, blatantly lying and hoping that Troy was too focused on the road to pick up on it.

He opened his mouth to reply and then quickly closed it again, deciding to let it slip. It was obvious that Gabriella was an open book when it came to her opinions. Her face gave it all away.

"Maybe this isn't a good idea, Troy. I'm not gonna know anyone there, I'm not even dressed for a party- Troy, I barely even know you." She said, her nerves picked up as she noticed Troy put his blinkers on, indicating he was going to turn into an upcoming neighborhood.

"It's not that kinda party. It's gonna be a buncha guys and girls in jeans and t-shirts. You look fine. And you can get to know me more. That's why I'm bringin' you here, to get to know you." He told her, as he came to a full stop in front of a two story tan brick house. The windows in the bottom of the house were illuminated and there was a glowing light from the backyard, a bonfire.

"Come on." He said, hopping down from the truck and walking around to help her down.

"Could this thing be any higher off the ground?" she mumbled, grasping his hand as she balanced on the truck's side step before reaching the ground.

"I can always lift it higher." Troy joked. "Let's get inside."

* * *

It was now 11:52. Troy and Gabriella had talked all night, he'd even gotten her to partake in a few drinks. The two were now sitting in very close proximity, still talking. The effect of the previous wine coolers and the cup of beer she was currently nursing had set in.

"Damn Tripp, you hogged that pretty little lady all night. Maybe somebody else wanted to talk to her." Cooper, a blonde with grey eyes called from the opposite couch.

"Coop, if she wanted to talk to you, she would have. She knows a snake when she sees one."

Gabriella took a sip of her beer and stood up making her way to the other boy. "I'm Gabriella." she said, extending her hands toward Cooper.

"I had to beg that name out of you!" Troy exclaimed, watching the interaction between the two.

"Cooper Ashby." he said, shaking her hand back. "Now tell me how Troy got a beautiful girl like you to come with him tonight."

She turned to look at Troy, who was keeping a close eye on the two. "He kidnapped me- forced me to come here with him." She smirked. "But I can't say I regret coming. "

"Well he's lucky he got to you first, but if you're willing to jump ship on him before you start sailing, I'll be in the kitchen." Cooper told her, standing from the couch and giving Troy a playful glare as he left to new friends alone with each other in the living room.

Troy got up and moved to sit next to her. Her eyes fell to the green numbers of the clock: _11:57_.

"Did you enjoy yourself tonight?" Troy asked her, keeping watch of the time out of the corner of his eye.

"I did." She told him, receiving his raised brows in response. "I'm surprised, too. Believe me."

_11:59_.

"You know you're supposed to kiss somebody at midnight..." he hinted.

"I'm aware of this, yes."

_18 seconds._ The countdown in the bottom corner of the television was ticking.

"You gonna let me be that person?"

_12 seconds._

"I was actually going to go find Coope-" Troy cut her off, quickly attaching his lips to hers just as the sound of the others in attendance at the small party filled the house, " 3...2...1...Happy New Year!"

He pulled back, staring into her eyes. "If this year is as good as these last couple of hours were, I can't wait for the next 365 days."

Gabriella smiled at him, if there was ever a time to let your guard down and fall for someone, what better time than at the start of a New Year. After all, it was a time for new beginnings.

"Will you take me home?" she questioned as she ran her fingers through his mess of hair, in an attempt to tame it a little, despite the fact that she really did like the easy look of it.

"Yeah, let's get outta here." He told her, grabbing her hand and intertwining his fingers with hers. He led her toward the door, stopping in the other rooms and out back to bid farewell to the others at the party.

* * *

"It's the apartment complex on the left."

Troy made the turn and pulled into a parking spot where she directed him. "Now I know where to come when I have to stalk you to see you again." he joked

Gabriella let out a small laugh, rolling her eyes at herself. "I'm gonna end up on a news show. They say not to get in a car with a man you just met, not to leave your drink with strangers, and you're definitely not supposed to show them where you live. I struck out."

"I have that effect on women."

"Whatever. Bye, Mr. Cocky. "

Gabriella opened the door, stepping down from the cab. She closed it and began walking toward her first floor apartment. She heard a car door open and close behind her and rolled her eyes, knowing it was Troy. "You're just gonna walk away?"

"Yep, what were you expecting?"

"A goodnight kiss?" He was testing the waters.

She stood on her tiptoes and kissed Troy's cheek. "Goodnight."

"Could I at least have your number?"

He pulled out his cell phone, holding it toward her. Troy pulled his best puppy dog face, trying to break the petite brunette. "Please?"

She took the phone and typed her number in quickly, handing him back the sleek black touch screen.

"For the last time, goodnight Troy." She smiled at him before she turned and made her way to the door of her apartment. Gabriella heard Troy's voice call out "One last thing." She turned and the blue eyed boy was already standing face to face with her. He leaned down, capturing her lips in his for the second time that night.

"Now it's a good night." Troy ran his thumb under Gabriella's bottom lip and smirked at her, before turning and walking back to his Chevy.

* * *

A/N: Hey! Sorry for such the long gap in my stories. Life's been hectic. I've written this story in advance, so updates SHOULD (no promises) be way more regular. If any of you guys read "Class A", let me know if you want me to continue it. I will if you guys are still into it, but if you've lost interest I completely understand, seeing as it's been soooo long since I updated. Thanks for your continued support of my stories. All of you guys who read and those who review really make this worth it.

Love as always,

dev.(:


	2. Chapter 2: 'Til Dawn

**Chapter 2: 'Til Dawn**

Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Disney or High School Musical. Nor am I affiliated with Trevor Hall.

_Tell me where you come from darling_  
_Tell me where you run to honey_  
_I am only here to listen_  
_I am only here to fear_  
_Tell me everything about you_  
_Tell me about all the hearts you steal_  
_Fire is burning round me_  
_Are you gonna burn with me too_  
_Cause I don't really want this life_  
_All I really want is you..._

_'Te Amo' by Trevor Hall_

* * *

**January 29, 2013**

Gabriella walked in doing as she did every morning, on days when she hadn't spent the night. She laid a small kiss on Troy's forehead, made sure he was comfortable, opened the blinds to let in sunlight and began to read the cards and look at gifts that covered the bedside table. She finished what had been routine for the past two weeks and looked at Troy. Color had returned to him, though he was still much lighter than his usual bronzed hue.

"It's Misti's birthday, Troy." she told him, scooting the recliner up to his bedside. She took hold of his hand. "Wouldn't it be great if you woke up for her birthday?"

His heart monitors remained steady. His vitals stayed the same, just as the had since the first night she'd come to him.

"He doesn't need to wake up for me." Gabriella heard a voice come from the doorway. Misti stood looking in at the brunette; she was holding a bouquet of casablancas. "He needs to wake up for that little boy." She told her, walking closer and motioning to Gabriella's swollen stomach. She sat on the arm of the recliner, putting her arm around her shoulders and enveloping her in a hug.

Misti pulled back and examined Gabriella's face. She wiped her tears, holding her face in her hands. "And he will. Y'know Tripp's a stubborn one. He always has to make a big production. Just get ready to smack some sense in him when he wakes up." Misti told her with a small smile. She was clearly trying to be the stronger of the two.

"Don't spend today cooped up in here. Zeke's throwing a party for me, tonight. Come by the baker-."

Gabriella's heart dropped, fresh tears brimmed her eyes.. Misti knew instantly she'd struck a nerve. The bakery was their place. Ever since the couple's first date. Troy and Gabriella had dubbed Zeke's bakery as theirs.

* * *

**January 16, 2012**

"Okay, I'll pick you up around seven?"

"Yeah, that's fine. Do you remember my address?"

"Couldn't forget it if I tried." Gabriella could hear the smirk in his voice over the phone.

"See you then." She had just agreed to go on a real date, as he had called it, with Troy. She sat back at the desk of her new office. It had been a little over two weeks since their initial meeting and Troy had been resilient in getting Gabriella to go out with him. Between calls, texts, and showing up to the bar where they'd met, Troy had exhausted his options and practically begged her to go out.

It was a Friday night and Gabriella still hadn't met many people, besides the other instructors at the studio. She figured she had nothing to lose. It wasn't like Troy wasn't funny, attractive, and charming. She just wasn't used to guys who were like Troy. While her exes at home weren't exactly like the idiots on 'Jersey Shore', they were all loud, heavily accented, tan, and most were italian. If Gabriella had waited as long as she had with Troy to accept their invites, they would have moved on to the next girl.

Gabriella finished placing costume orders for the Company's next competition and looked to the clock. It was already 5:34. She closed her laptop and collected her things. Just as she pulled her keys from her purse, she got a text from Troy.

Troy::Forgot 2 tell ya...dress warm. Nothin fancy.

Gabriella::Where are we going?

Troy:: Can tell. (;

* * *

Gabriella got back to her apartment a little after six, leaving her little time to shower and get ready. After her quick time in the bathroom, she decided on an oversized tan sweater, black leggings, and black wedge boots with creme colored socks poking out of the top. Going light on her makeup, she piled her hair into a high bun before adding a few gold accessories. Glancing at the clock, she saw it was already 7:02. She rushed to switch her key essentials from her daily bag to the one that matched her outfit. Just as she threw her compact mirror onto the handbag, her doorbell rang. She quickly snatched her phone from its place charging on her bed and went to answer the door.

"What no flowers?" She posed jokingly, taking Troy's appearance in.

"Dammit! I knew I shoulda got you something. I'm sor-"

"Troy, I was just kidding. Calm down. Flowers are cheesy."

"Oh, alright." he said, rubbing the back of his neck, "You ready?

"Yep." She turned around, locking the door on her apartment. "Come on."

Troy repeated his actions from the night they met, opening her door and helping her in the truck.

"Is there any food you're allergic to? I probably shoulda asked you earlier.."

"Nope, I'm lactose intolerant of that means anything."

"It means I need to come up with a new plan for dessert." he mumbled, earning a giggle from Gabriella. He began thinking of an alternative to the ice cream he had planned.

"Sorry."

"Nah, it's fine. I know where we can go." He told her, sending a white smile across the cab of his truck.

Gabriella smiled back, noticing he was turning off into a large field.

"What exactly are you doing?"

Troy came to a stop in the center of the field. He left the car running and hopped out, before reaching into space behind the seats and pulling out a basket filled with different sized tupperware containing food. He opened her door, motioning for her to follow him to the bed of the truck. Gabriella saw that he'd filled it with blankets and pillows in an attempt to make it more comfy.

"We're havin' a picnic under the stars. I know you're new around here, so I wanted to show you what the country has to offer. You don't see stars like this in the city." he told her, pulling the food out of the basket. "Now I didn't know what you liked, but this was my favorite growing up. No one who's had my mom's food has disliked it."

Gabriella, who had been staring at the stars, looked down at the spread before her. There was a container filled with salad, one filled with rolls, and what looked to be a chicken and dumplings type dish. "You had your mother cook?"

Troy shrugged, unable to deny it. He was a bit of a momma's boy and she loved doing things for him. Heck, she'd done his laundry all through medical school.

"Well tell her I said thank you." Gabriella said, accepting the plate he held out to her. She tucked into the food. "I guess I'm apart of the club. This is delicious!"

"Are you close with your mom?" she probed.

"Yeah, my whole family is pretty tight knit. Misti is only two years younger than me, we were always kinda partners in crime growing up. Our mom was always right there." he reminisced with a chuckle. "What about you, what's your family like."

Gabriella smirked, "Big and loud. My mom's Italian and my dad's Dominican. I have four older siblings- three brothers and one sister, and a little brother. I love them to death, but it's a little much at times. Our upbringings were probably very different."

Gabriella reached forward and helped herself to another spoonful of the chicken dish. "I like a girl with an appetite."

"Then you're definitely going to love me. Growing up with 8 of us in the family, taught me to eat while there was food" she giggled.

"Don't fill up, though. We're gonna get dessert."

She nodded, taking a sip of the strawberry lemonade he'd brought.

* * *

After their meal, Gabriella helped Troy pack up the containers and he took her for another ride. They drove for about twenty minutes, talking the whole way there. The two finally arrived at a small shop. From the truck, Gabriella could see the inside was splash all over with color. The walls were a Tiffany blue color with the display counter being a bright lime green. Each of the small tables held the same swirly white table legs, but was topped with a different colored face. A sign hung from the door, stating that Z's Cakes & Confections was now closed.

"Troy they aren't open."

"Not to the public. I know the owner, he said it's alright if we swing by."

"A guy owns this place? It's a little..."

"Yeah, Misti actually designed the place. She wants to be an interior designer and her boyfriend can't tell her no."

The pair walked in and were immediately greeted by the tall man behind the counter. "Tripp, you're lucky I love Misti. I should've been out of here an hour ago, but I know that my desserts have been known to seal the deal on dates." he joked

"Nice to see you, too." Troy stated sarcastically, "Zeke, this is Gabriella. Gabriella, this is Zeke."

"Gabriella, you can have anything you want. Tripp, you can only have something with raspberry." Zeke quipped, knowing of Troy's aversion to the fruit.

Zeke made his way back behind the display case and put on a pair of plastic gloves. "See anything that's up your alley?"

It all looked like a pictorial from a cooking magazine to Gabriella, everything was 'up her alley'.

"The red velvet bread pudding looks really good."

"One of my newest creations!" he exclaimed. "What about you, T?

"That fried sweet potato pie is calling my name."

Zeke boxed up the pastries and put them into a small white paper bag. "It's on the house." he told the pair, as he passed the bag over the counter.

Troy called out his thanks as he held the door open for Gabriella. When they got outside, Troy gave her the bag after helping her into truck. "Can we go back to where we ate dinner? I liked it out there. Unless you have work in the morning and you just wanna go home because that's fine, too. I mean whatev-"

"No, it's fine." he cut her off, "We can go back." he sent a grin her way.

"Okay." Gabriella turned her head, looking out the window. His smiles were enough to make a girl go weak in the knees. Whether he picked up on it or not, Gabriella could see herself being with Troy.

* * *

Troy ate the last bite of his fried pastry, brushing his hands together to rid them of the crumbs.

"You have a little..." Gabriella motioned to The corner of Troy's mouth. "powdered sugar. Here let me get it." She reached across the bed of the truck and brushed the powdery substance away.

"God, that's embarrassing!"

"No, it was kinda cute"

"How the heck could that have been cute?"

"I don't know, it just was." Gabriella responded, scooting closer to where Troy was up against the back of the cab. She situated herself next to him and turned so she was facing him.

Troy glanced in her direction, "What are you thinking?"

"That I'm so dumb for not going out with you earlier."

"Why? Better late than never, right?"

"I guess, but this is the best first date I've ever been on. We could have done this two weeks ago." She told him, leaning her head against the side of the truck and taking in the night sky. "I've never seen this many stars before. They're so beautiful."

"I do love the view."

Gabriella looked to Troy, seeing he wasn't talking about the stars. His eyes were directed at her. She scooted over to where Troy was sitting, fixing herself at his side.

"That was really cheesy..." she giggled, ", but it was sweet."

Troy wrapped his arms around her shoulder, lacing their fingers. He leaned down capturing her lips in a slow, sweet kiss.

"I wanna know everything about you." he whispered as the two pulled apart, "Your secrets, what makes you cry, what makes you happy."

"Right now, you're making me extremely happy."

"Tell me something nobody knows."

"Like what?"

"Anything. Something that would piss your family off if they knew. Something that you don't even think about, because it's that big of a secret."

"All throughout high school, my friends and I would go to New York on the weekends. We'd use fake id's and go to clubs on amateur night and dance on the bars and the poles and stuff."

"That's, well...not what I was expecting."

"We'd never get naked, we just loved doing something rebellious that we knew our parents would hate." Clearly trying to backtrack and clean up the story.

"No, no, no. I didn't mean that in a bad way. It's just that you don't seem like the type of person to so something so- I dunno, bad ass."

"Well believe it." She told him as her eyes traced his face, eventually making their way back to the clear night sky. She took in all of the new aspects of small town life; the thousands of stars in the sky, the pick up trucks, the camouflage, and the blue-eyed southern-accented boy cuddled next to her.

* * *

Hours had passed and Troy and Gabriella still sat in the bed of his truck, wrapped in blankets, shielding themselves from the January airr. They had been going back and forth, sharing aspects of their lives with the other. Sharing everything from their favorite color to the age when they had their first heartbreak.

Troy felt the vibration of his phone in his back pocket, pulling him from the questioning. He pulled the phone from his pocket and saw that he was nearing a dead battery. What really caught his attention was the time; 4:27. Had they really been talking that long? It was crazy how quickly time had flown by.

"As much as I'm enjoying this, and I truly am. I think I oughta get you back to your apartment, miss. It's already 4:30."

"Oh gosh, really?" She told him, looking to the gold and black watch she'd accessorized with. "I'm sorry I kept you so long, we can go now." She sat up, and started scooting toward the edge of the bed, to hop down. Troy stopped her, grabbing onto her wrist to pull her back toward him. He pushed one of the fallen hairs behind her ear and leaned closer to her.

"My momma raised me to be an honest man, Gabriella. When I say I had a good time with you," his voice dropped an octave, "I really meant it."

"I believe you."

"Good, now let me get you on back home."

As Troy drove Gabriella back to her place, he felt like a young schoolboy for the first time since he'd had a crush on his fourth grade teacher, Ms. Luna. He smirked at the thought, reaching down and taking hold of Gabriella's hand with his hand that wasn't occupied with the wheel.

"What's that face for?" Gabriella questioned as she looked up and sent him a smirk of her own.

Troy pulled her hand to his lips and placed a small kiss to the back of it."That would be a story for another time, darlin'."

He pulled his truck into the parking spaces in front of her apartment complex. The blue eyes, Gabriella had ingrained into her brain over the course of their night under the stars, were fixated on her face. Their hands were still meshed in the center of the cab. Troy's head started on a descent to even the height difference between the pair. He grew increasingly closer, giving her a quick peck before pulling away slowly.

"Please don't make me wait that long again."

She mimicked his quick kiss, before she hopped out of the car. A smile spread across her face she was closing the door; her voice came out low.

"I wouldn't dream of it."

A/N: Whoop Whoop!  
Updated in a week! (Mostly because I didn't have school today, but it was on time!) No real news. Thanks for reading guys, please review!  
Love as always,  
dev.(:


	3. Chapter 3: My Girlfriend

Chapter Three: "My Girlfriend"

_Pardon the way that I stare_  
_there's nothing else to compare_  
_the sight of you makes me weak_  
_there are no words left to speak_  
_but if you feel like I feel_  
_please let me know that it's real_  
_you're just too good to be true_  
_can't take my eyes off of you_

_Can't Take My Eyes Off of You by Lauryn Hill_

* * *

**February 8, 2013**

"That chair can't be good for your back." the nurse commented as she walked into the room to see Gabriella stretching to get comfortable in the recliner she'd fallen asleep in. "You're here so often, sweetie. You need anything?"

"No, I'm fine. I just want to stay with Troy to make sure nothing's wrong. If he wakes up, I want to be here to see it."

"You know we can call you if anything changes, miss."

"I do know that but I made a promise to him that I wouldn't go anywhere, no matter what happened. I intend to keep that promise, ma'am. But thank you anyway. Gabriella replied, sending a sad smile in Troy's direction and then at the nurse. "Actually, can you bring me some water, please. No ice.

"Will do." The nurse replied, making her way out of the room. She turned quickly, but not quick enough for Gabriella to miss the sympathetic look of pity she'd received so many times, from so many different since Troy had had his accident.

* * *

**February 14, 2012**

Gabriella rolled over, groaning loudly as she glanced at her lit up phone on her night stand. She pulled her creme and coral ikat duvet cover up over her head; ten more minutes of sleep and she'd be ready to get up. The buzz of her cell phone sounded through her room once again. A low growl escaped her throat as she threw the comforter off of her and grabbed the smart phone.

"Yes?" , came her annoyed and clearly sleepy voice.

A throaty laugh came from the other end of the line, "We need to work on making you a morning person."

It was Troy calling her. Gabriella felt slightly guilty, now but the boy still had no reason to call her at six forty-five in the morning. He might have been a doctor, but she was a dancer. The studio didn't open until ten and she was barely ever out of bed before eight. What could he possibly have to say to her, they weren't even an official couple. It had been well over a month since that first date, but they had yet to put an official title on their relationship. And to make matters worse, he'd been gone for nearly two weeks at a medical convention in Delaware.

She had missed him. "Troy, I know we haven't seen each other in a while, but you didn't have to call me at this ungodly hour. Do you need something?"

"We _really_ need to make you a morning person." he said, chuckling. "Happy Valentine's Day."

"Oh Troy! I'm sor-"

"Nah, I guess I coulda called you a little later."

"When are you coming back?" Gabriella questioned as she sat up and pulled a throw pillow into her lap and playing with the fringe.

"Two more days. But it could be sooner if you'd like..."

"No you should stay, I don't want to make -" The doorbell rang. It was still before seven. First Troy's phone call and now someone felt the need to visit her. She still hadn't made many friends, so as she walked to the door Gabriella racked her brain trying to figure out who it would be. "Hold on Troy, someone's at my door."

She walked towards the front room, trying to see who it was through the glass paneling of her front door. From what she could see, there was no one there - they must have been standing to the side of the glass. Gabriella opened up the door to find a vase filled with what looked to be around two dozen red roses sitting on her welcome mat. She bent to pick them up, looking left and right to see who'd left them. No one was there.

"You didn't even want me to come back." She heard Troy's voice, it was louder this time. Not like it sounded on the phone. Her eyes shot up, to see him walking toward her from his truck, which was conveniently parked right in front of her house. How had she missed that? He closed the phone, continuing his strides toward her. It was then that she noticed he was carrying a bag of food and was clad in his uniform. "I drove all night to be here when you woke up on Valentine's Day and you didn't even want me here. You didn't even know it was Valentine's Day to begin with." He smirked, finally stopping in front of her.

"Of course I wanted you here." She hugged around his waist, resting her chin on his chest as she looked up at him. "And I didn't forget, I just thought I'd be spending the day alone."

"Never that." Troy told her as he leaned in for a greeting kiss, only to have Gabriella turn her head, making his lips land on her cheek, instead of Troy's intended destination.

"I haven't brushed my teeth, yet."

"I don't care."

"Well, I do. I'm just gonna run to the bathroom really quickly. Come in. Just wait a second."

"I brought you breakfast. I'll set it up, hurry back." He told her, taking long steps toward the small breakfast nook in her kitchen.

He got two plates from her cabinet and utensils to eat with. After setting their places, Troy pulled the styrofoam boxes from the bag. He'd gotten her red velvet pancakes, knowing of her love of the flavor. He plated his own regular pancake in addition to the turkey bacon, eggs, and mixed fruit he'd picked for sides to share between the two of them.

Gabriella made her way into the kitchen, joining Troy at the table. He threw away the boxes and poured two glasses of juice.

Handing Gabriella the glass, he leaned down to finally get his long awaited kiss. He stopped just before their lips touched. "You put on makeup."

Gabriella opened her eyes and looked up at him. "Only a little. You've never seen me when I first get up." she told him, biting her bottom lip.

"You don't need it." He told her, retrieving his kiss at last. "Now eat."

She sat down across from him, starting in on the bowl of fruit. "Do you have to go back to work later on?"

"Nope, today is reserved for you. I haven't seen you for two weeks, do you really think I could only have breakfast with you?"

A small smile fell onto Gabriella's face, she didn't want to seem too eager, but she was extremely excited. "What are we doing today?"

"I'm gonna make you a country girl." He stated simply, continuing to eat.

Gabriella just looked at him, questioning Troy silently. Things like this required a nice cup from Starbucks, which there were none of for miles around here.

"Huntin'."

"Troy..." she started with unease, "I don't think I can kill something. I mean -"

"Not real animals, just the plastic ones at the gun range. It's not even hunting season." He told her as if it were completely obvious, taking another bite of his pancakes.

Troy left her to get ready and he went home, himself. Changing from his military camouflage to his hunting camo, Troy stopped off at the store on the way to her apartment. He picked up part one of her Valentine's Day present, it wasn't meant to be taken seriously but she'd need it for the day ahead. He made his way back to her, ready to convert her to a Virginia girl.

* * *

"I'm not wearing it."

"Please?" Troy asked, putting on his best puppy pout.

"We're not going to be in the woods! Why do I need to blend in?" She questioned staring into the bag of camo clothes that were just her size. Next to the bag sat a pair of puke green boots, also her size.

"What about just the hoodie, pants, and hat."

"Hoodie and hat." she compromised, figuring those could be taken off the easiest.

"Deal." he smiled, waiting for her to put on her newly bought clothes so they could start their excursion.

* * *

"You've got yourself a natural here, Tripp." Jim, the owner of the shooting range commented as the couple took off and returned all of their gear, along with the guns.

Jim examined the target that Gabriella had been shooting, seeing the clusters near the center. "She might give you a run for your money, come huntin' season." the older man, chuckled.

"She wishes." Troy told him, pulling Gabriella toward him until her back was meshed with his front side. "You ready for the next part of your day, little missy?"

"No." Gabriella turned in his arms, so they were face to face. "It's gonna be dinner, right?"

He nodded slowly, obvious bewilderment on his face.

"I want to cook for you. I didn't know you'd be here and I feel crappy that I don't have anything to give you."

"You don't have to. I wanted to treat you."

"You did treat me, and now it's my turn." She told him, grabbing his hand and pulling him toward the doors. "Bye Jim! Thanks for the lovely time." she called.

She lead him to his truck, pulling on his arms like an excited child the entire time. "I just need you to stop at a grocery store first. I need to grab a few things."

* * *

"Does Italian sound good?"

"That's what I had planned for dinner, so of course."

"Mine will be better, anyway. Can you go grab some white wine?" she asked him, scanning the shelf for capers.

"Yeah, I'll be right back."

She found what she had been searching for and added them to her hand basket. "I'll be in the produce section." she called.

"How does a grocery store not carry garlic?" Gabriella let out, exasperated. The comment wasn't directed at anyone in particular.

"Not a lot of people around here use it. They have it already packaged in jars, though."

Gabriella turned, she hadn't realized that there was anyone within close proximity to her. She smiled, slightly embarrassed at the blonde women who had responded to her. "Can you point me in that direction?"

"I'll walk you." the blonde smiled. "Are you new around here?"

"What gave it away?" Gabriella joked.

"I'm Erin." the other woman extended her hand.

"Gabriella, is this okay?" Troy came up behind, resting his hand on the small of her back and holding out the bottle in front for her to look at.

"Tripp?"

Troy looked up from the brunette, just noticing that she'd been engaged in a conversation with someone. His eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw who. "Erin." he started uneasily. "Long time, no see."

"Mhmmm." Erin agreed, eying the pair. "This town is so small, I'm surprised we haven't run into each other sooner."

"Yep." his reply was short, "Well, Erin, we have to get goin', so uh - I'll see you later."

"Not so fast, Tripp. I didn't catch your friend's name."

"Gabriella,." the brunette interjected, quickly. "How do you two know each other?"

"Well, Tripp here was my boyfriend in elementary school and high school. He was prom king and I was queen." Erin, replied smoothly.

"Oh, what happened in middle school?"

"I came to my senses." Troy mumbled into Gabriella's ear, only to be cut off by Erin's boisterous, overdramatic laugh.

"He listened to all the other boys opinion that girls were gross." Erin looked between the two, eying Troy's hand that had yet to leave the small of Gabriella's back. "I see his views on the matter have changed for good."

"I guess you could say so. Having a lovely girlfriend, like this one will do that to a guy." Troy told Erin. "We'll let you get back to shopping."

"Bye, Happy Valentine's Day!" Gabriella called, smiling warmly.

The two began walking in the opposite direction of Erin. Troy could feel Gabriella's eyes on him. He looked down at her, puzzled by the smirk on her face. "Why are you smiling like that?"

"Oh I don't know. It could be that I love grocery stores and I get excited just walking through one or the fact that you just said I was your girlfriend."

"Well aren't you?"

"You never asked. You can't just declare me to be your girlfriend to some woman you shared cookies and a juice boxes with, without my consent." she told him, smiling up into his blue eyes.

Troy stopped Gabriella and turned her around so her back was against the handle of the shopping cart. "Gabriella Montez, it would be my honor if you'd be my girlfriend." He told her, with his hands resting on her hips.

"Why not." She giggled, leaning up to place a chaste kiss on his lips.

"I'll take it." Troy chuckled, grabbing her hand, before continuing in the direction they'd been walking. "Do you have everything you need?" Troy asked her.

"I need garlic. Erin said they'd have some in jars, but I'm not sure where that would be."

"Follow me, miss." Troy told her, leading the way

* * *

"Stop staring at me!" Gabriella told him, as the two sat snuggled on the loveseat of her living room. She'd cooked a chicken and pasta dish with red sauce, then dipped strawberries in chocolate for dessert.

"Nope. I don't think you're real, so I have to make sure you don't disappear."

"I'm not going anywhere, Troy. Despite what happens." she giggled.

"I can't control what life and the military throws our way, so remember you said that. I'm holding you to it. "

"I will. And you remember how much you like me right now."

"Deal." Troy told her, leaning in and smirking before he kissed her.

* * *

A/N: So I'm sorry I didn't update last week. I had a big assignment due in five of my seven classes, so I was pretty bogged down. Once again, thanks for all of you guys' reviews. I never thought this would get as many reviews/faves/follows as it's getting. The next chapter is written, so I'm going to try to upload it tomorrow to get back on track with my updating. You guys are the best!

love as always  
dev.(:


	4. Chapter 4: Mama Bolton

**Chapter 4: Meeting Mama Bolton**

_Disclaimer: I'm not affiliated with Disney, HSM, or the Jackson 5_

_"Mama, she's that beautiful dream_  
_That I dream each night_  
_She's that bird of love_  
_On whose wings I'm in flight_  
_She's those words left_  
_When there's no more to say_  
_She's my sunshine_  
_At the end of a perfect day_  
_All this lets me find a reason to be alive_  
_That day when you set me upon your knee_  
_You said only the right girl_  
_Could be all these things_  
_Mama, I think I found that girl_  
_Yeah, Mama I think I found that girl**"**_

'_I Found That Girl' by The Jackson 5_

* * *

**February 26, 2013**

She'd grown accustomed to being alone. It had been just her and the life forming inside of her since Troy had left to help out. She'd go to work and come home, have dinner alone, go shopping or occasionally go out with some of the girls from the studio. This had been her normalcy, her routine. She hadn't been bothered by it up until now. Now that the possibility that this is how it would always be, had presented itself, she hated it. She couldn't stand the quiet, the loneliness, or the solitude - it drove her crazy.

Gabriella approached the check in desk, her hand automatically caressing her stomach. "Name and appointment time?" the blonde receptionist questioned, her back facing Gabriella as she typed away on a flat screened computer.

"Gabriella Montez, I have an appointment at noon with Dr. Burrell." she told her.

"Gabriella!" the blonde whipped around. "I didn't even see your name on the appointment list! You're certainly bigger than the last time we saw each other!" she commented, grabbing a clipboard and forms for Gabriella to fill out. She sat them down, sliding them across the desk to Gabriella along with a pen. Her face turned solemn as she spoke, "I um..uh heard about Troy. I'm so sorry. How is he doing... any better?"

She bit her lip, trying to string together a response, that wouldn't seem hopeless. "He's making it. He'll pull through." she mumbled, taking the clipboard and finding a seat to begin filling everything out. Gabriella tried to focus on the papers in her lap, but her mind was spinning with the news the doctors had given her that morning.

"Gabriella, sweetheart." The deeply southern voice of Rebekah Bolton pulled Gabriella from her thoughts. "How are you?" she questioned, easily reading the girl.

"Okay."

"And the truth?"

"Shitty." She told the older woman. "They told me and Misti to consider letting him go. To think about the possibilities. What if he doesn't make it, Bekah?"

"Dear, we both know that boy is going to wake up. Whether it's in two days or two months, Tripp's gonna be alright. I didn't raise a quitter."

"But they're doctors and -"

"Doctors my ass. If they're name isn't Jesus, I couldn't care less what they say. I know my son and that boy I was with last night isn't going anywhere, anytime soon. Now you focus on keeping my grandbaby happy."

"Gabriella, they're ready for you." The blonde called from the desk.

Rebekah and Gabriella gathered their things, making their way back toward the ultrasound room. "Thanks, Erin." Gabriella, told the blonde with a small smile as they past her.

"I didn't know she worked here, haven't even thought about her in years,." Rebekah mused to herself, "Probably because I never cared much about her. I never understood what Troy saw in that girl. She's so needy and scrawny, somebody shoulda gave her an extra scoop of stuffing on Thanksgiving."

Gabriella giggled as the older woman helped her into the examination chair and took a seat to wait for the ultrasound technician to come in. It was the first time she'd laughed and smiled, a real smile, in a while. She'd always loved Troy's mother.

* * *

**April 8, 2012**

"Troy, I'm nervous." Gabriella stated, biting her lip. She turned around from the mirror as she finished adjusting the lavender ribbon around her white lace dress.

"Nervous for what?"

She stared into his eyes as if to say 'Are you kidding me?'. Troy stood up and walked over to her from his place on her bed, placing his hands on her waist.

"Brie, my parents will love you. If you don't meet them today, my mom's gonna show up at your front door. She's dyin' to meet you." Troy had taken to calling her Brie over the past month, it was his personal nickname for her. No one else was allowed to call her it.

"I'm not like everyone around here. How do you know she's gonna love me? I mean is there any girl who doesn't have any blonde in their hair?" she asked, exasperated.

"My favorite girls aren't blonde. My mom and Misti are redheads. And you, my favorite girl of all, have beautiful brunette hair." he punctuated with a kiss, running his hand through her hair. She swatted his hand away, making sure he didn't mess up the section that she had pinned up.

"Whatever." she said, looking at herself once more in the mirror. "Do I look okay? This is fine for church, right?"

He nodded, straightening out his crisp mint colored shirt and khakis as he checked the time on his phone. "We have to go soon are you almost ready?"

"Yeah, just let me put on some lipstick and grab a cardigan."

* * *

Troy guided his large truck into the driveway of a large two story home. The neatly manicured lawn held a small white bench, in addition to the curved line of stones that led up to the brick home. An American flag flew from beside the front door, which was adorned with Easter decorations.

"Ready?" Troy asked nonchalantly as he turned the ignition of his truck off and turned to look at her. His eyes widened as he caught what was going on outside of the window. Gabriella turned, following his gaze. There was a woman quickly making her way across the lawn, a smile beaming from her face. She wore a yellow and peach floral dress, which made bright red bob, which was blowing wildly, pop. She had paired the dress with a white cardigan and white heels- how she was maneuvering the lawn in heels was a mystery to Gabriella.

Gabriella quickly turned backed to Troy, "I don't have much of a choice, do I?" she giggled, just as her door was yanked open.

"Mom, we were coming. You couldn't wait?" Troy called to the woman. Now that she was closer Gabriella could see that all of the Bolton features were in fact, from the mother. She had the same intense blue gaze, dazzling white smile, and tanned skin.

"Oh, hush your mouth!" She replied, her southern drawl was even more prevalent than Troy's. She sent her son a quick chastising glance and turned her attention to Gabriella. Despite her age, the woman was the definition of 'Southern Belle'.

"Aren't you as cute as a button?" She extended her hand toward Gabriella, helping her from the truck. "I'm Rebekah Bolton, Troy's mama. I've heard so much about you, Gabriella! You do go by Gabriella, right?"

"Yeah, Gabriella's fine and I've heard a lot about you, too, Mrs, Bolton."

"Sweetie, call me Rebekah." she said, as if it had been absurd to address her formally in the first place. "Now, come on you two. We're takin' pictures and then we have to get to church.

"Oh, no I don't want to impose. That's for the family." Gabriella told her, holding her hands up.

"Oh nonsense, honey." She told her, reaching and pulling her by the hand toward the bench in the yard. "Robert, dear, come on!" she called toward the front door of the large home.

Troy trailed behind them, his eyes caught Gabriella's as she glanced over shoulder searching for him. He sent her a sympathetic glance as she was being dragged by his mother. Rebekah seated Gabriella on the white bench, before making her way into the house, shouting for Robert and Misti to come outside.

"Remember how you said you weren't going anywhere?" Troy asked, strolling up to the bench with his hands in his pocket. Gabriella nodded, looking up at him.

"Hold on to that."

Gabriella laughed lightly at the joke. She heard the crunch of grass behind her, indicating that someone was nearing.

"Troy, how's it goin' son?" a deep baritone voice came.

"I can't complain, dad. How about you?"

"I'm doing better now that I'm meetin' this beautiful little lady of yours." he replied, standing in front of Gabriella with an outstretched hand. "Hello, there. You must be the Gabriella we couldn't get Tripp to shut up about."

Troy scratched the back of his neck. "Dad..."

"I'm Robert, and I don't know what you done with our boy, but he surely is smitten with you."

"Dad!" Troy interjected again as Gabriella looked to him, suppressing her laughter. Rebekah returned now, camera and tripod and tow, followed by Misti. She quickly greeted Gabriella, before sitting on the bench. Rebekah set the equipment, before arranging everyone where she saw fit.

Misti sat in the center of the bench, with Gabriella on her left and Rebekah on the right. Troy stood behind Gabriella, with his hands on her shoulders, a pose that Robert mimicked with Rebekah.

"Okay, everyone we have ten seconds." Rebekah called from behind the camera, before swiftly making her way to the bench. The first of many flashes went off, indicating that the picture had been taken. Rebekah then went on to take a siblings picture with only Troy and Misti; a picture with Troy and Gabriella, and one with herself and Robert.

It was safe to say she'd gone a little shutter happy.

"Alright now, why are ya'll just standing there? We got a church service to get to!" Rebekah told them as soon as she was done taking pictures. They all looked around at each other, scrambling towards the cars they'd be taking. Rebekah disassembled the tripod, quickly took it back into the house and came back outside to get into the car with Robert.

Robert drove off, Maci following in her small convertible, and Troy and Gabriella in his truck. They arrived at the building with fifteen minutes to spare before the service started. Troy took Gabriella's hand, leading her to where their family sat in the third pew. "I can tell your nervous." he said quietly, smiling at other members of the church as they walked past to get to their seats.

"I just feel like I don't fit in." She replied, her eyes holding a sense of unease as she played with the hem of her dress. She looked up seeing a tall blonde with a pixie cut wave at Troy and his parents who were seated on the opposite of Gabriella. "I mean..." she trailed off.

"That's why you're better than the other girls. They're cookie cutter, you're not." he told her as the organ player began the opening song and the choir stood to begin singing.

* * *

"So, Gabriella...Troy tells me you dance?" Rebekah asked, smiling. She was moving around the kitchen, preparing an Easter ham as Gabriella stood at the island chopping vegetables and Misti baked a yellow cake.

"Oh, yeah. Since I was about four."

"I danced myself, back in my glory days. Definitely not as good as you. Just enough to get me through the talent portion of pageants." Rebekah laughed to herself.

"Really?" Gabriella asked, Troy hadn't mentioned this before. "What style did you do?"

"Tap. It seemed like the easiest to learn. Lord knows I couldn't sing or keep my balance long enough for ballet. So tap it was."She told her, laughing once again. "What kinda dance do you do, dear?"

"Classical ballet, contemporary and jazz."

"Woman of many talents." Misti chimed in.

Gabriella blushed, putting her head down as she continued chopping. She hadn't wanted to seem like a show off to Troy's mother. She just wanted to make a good first impression.

"Aren't you from New Jersey, darlin'? Are you the only one from up there who doesn't talk? You're gonna need to speak up to fit in this family." Rebekah said, walking over and placing a hand on her back. "We won't bite ya, I promise." She smiled and walked back over to the side of the kitchen she had been working on.

"You can come off strong, mom." Misti told her, placing her cake into the oven and setting the timer. She turned and looked to Gabriella. "Why don't you go find Troy? There's not a lot more to do. We can finish up in here."

"Oh no, I wanted to let him have some guy time with Robert and Zeke." Zeke had come over after going to Church with his own family that morning. He joined Troy and his father in the living room, watching whatever was on ESPN as the women prepared a large Easter dinner.

"Well then sit on down and tell me about you, darlin'." Rebekah commented loudly, with a smile. "Tell me all about yourself, starting with whatever exotic country you're from that gave you that tan."

* * *

"Dinner was great, mom." Troy said, walking up behind Rebekah with the dishes he'd cleaned off of the table. He sat them in the sink and placed a kiss on his mother's cheek. "So, um...what do you think of Brie?" Troy asked, a hopeful glint in his eyes.

His mother turned the sink off and turned to face Troy, drying her hands on the Easter egg printed dish towel. "What do _you _think of her Troy?" she questioned with emphasis on the word 'you', already knowing the answer. Rebekah Bolton had observed her son for years, long enough to know what he was feeling by looking at his face.

"I think that I never pictured a girl like her wanting a country guy like me." he started, twiddling his thumbs. "Remember when you used to tell me not to settle for a girl that was average? You said to find a girl that made the sky seem brighter and the birds sound sweeter. She's that girl, mom." Troy let out. He turned his head toward the door leading the living room, where she was talking to Misti, as she had been since dinner had ended. "It sounds crazy because I've only known her for a few months, but she's different."

"Well, if you feel that way, then it doesn't matter what I think. Now, does it?"

"I still want your opinion, ma."

"She's good for you, Tripp. I like her. She's a beautiful, God-fearing girl with a good job. What more could I ask for in a girl for my baby boy?" Rebekah said, smiling up at her son. She put her hand on her cheek, rubbing her thumb in small circles. "Just make sure my grandbabies don't have those god-awful Jersey accents, when y'all get around to having kids." she joked.

Troy couldn't help but laugh at his mother, she was always one to insert her humor into what would have been a serious conversation with anyone else. "Alright, mom." Troy pulled her into a quick one armed hug. "We're gonna head out now, do you want to say bye to her?"

"Of course, boy!" she said and looked at him, carefully. "You should tell her before you leave, Tripp. Don't leave her here wonderin' what she means to you."

"I haven't even told her I have to leave yet, mom."

Troy joined the rest of his family back in the living room. As he walked in he spotted Robert talking to Gabriella. "If Tripp gets out of hand, you call me. I know how to handle that boy."

"I leave you alone with him for ten minutes, and you guys are plotting against me?" Troy commented, smiling. "Are you ready to go?"

Gabriella collected her cardigan and cell phone as she stood up. "Yep."

"You all have to come back, soon. Right Bekha?" Robert asked his wife.

"Yes! Of course, darlin'!" she told Gabriella, pulling her into a hug. "We really enjoyed you."

"I enjoyed you guys, too! It's nice being around a small family, mine is always shouting - it's not a family get together without it." Gabriella said, jokingly as she and Troy headed out of the door.

* * *

It had been a long day for Gabriella and Troy. The pair were currently sitting in his truck, parked outside of her apartment as neither one wanted to say goodbye.

"My mom really likes you. She was already talking about grandkids, tonight." Troy told her, looking over to test her reaction.

Gabriella was quiet, as if she were mulling over the idea. She looked back over to Troy, "What did she say?"

"That they couldn't have a Jersey accent."

Gabriella burst into laughter, "I don't even have an accent!"

"Say the word coffee." Troy replied, smirking in her direction and receiving a glare in return.

"Well it's not that bad." Gabriella countered.

Troy grabbed her hand and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her across the cab until she was sitting in his lap. "It's a cute accent." He told her, as he held her close with his hand wrapped around her completely and his nose buried in the crook of her neck. "My mom's not the only one who really likes you."

"Oh really?" Gabriella asked him. Her hands were playing with the hair at the base of his neck.

"Mhmm."

"I'm very likable, I guess."

Troy straightened up, looking at her. "Promise me you won't freak out at what I'm about to say."

"Okay." She replied, hesitantly. She sat up, keeping her arms draped around his neck.

"It's crazy, even I think it's crazy- but I see a future with. We've only known each other for four months and I can't even imagine anyone else, Brie. I umm- I have to go to South Carolina for training and -"

Gabriella's face dropped, she stopped the stroking that had been occupying her hands. "When?"

"In a little over a week, nine days. I didn't know how to tell you."

"How long?" she asked, snuggling into him in the space she had between the steering wheel and his body.

"Until September. It's not that long, really. Like four and a half months." He said, running his hands through his hair. "And I'll get time to come back home to see you and during the summer hiatus at the studio you can come stay with me."

"Troy, this scares me."

"What scares you? It's just training, I'm not in danger..." he started before she cut him off.

"Not that. Us." she looked up at him. "What is going to be like further down the road. When you're gone for two years or if we do have kids? I haven't even known you for six months and I can't picture not seeing you that long."

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Right now don't worry about it."

"How can you not? This doesn't scare you at all?"

"Of course it does, Brie. It scares me shitless. But when you're given something like this you don't question it. This doesn't happen all the time, it's like a strike of lightning. What we have is real and it's worth it." Troy kissed her slowly, with a fire that he didn't know was in him.

"Will you stay with me, tonight? I want to catch that lightning in a jar. Capture it, to remember when you're away."

"I'll stay as long as you need."

That night as Troy lay, holding Gabriella he knew that his mother was right. Gabriella was right for him, she was what his mother had always described. Now he had something to look forward to when he went on leave, he had a picture to put over his bed in the barracks, he had that push to do good, because someone was depending on him.

* * *

**Quick reply:**

** fudge2428: ** Thanks for reading, I'm glad you're enjoying it so far. in response to the nickname, you might not have caught it, but Troy explains it in the first chapter. Tripp is pretty much a nickname that Misti gave him when they were kids that stuck. There's more explanation from Troy if you want to know more!(:

**A/N: Cheesy ending, I know. I had to. Anyway, thanks for all of the support. You guys are the best! I'm so glad everyone's enjoying this story. Your reviews can literally brighten my worst days.**

**love as always,**

**dev.(:**


	5. Chapter 5: Cassandra & Fitz

**Chapter 5: Cassandra and Fitz**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the song or HSM, if only...**

**_Quick A/N: This chapter gets kinda graphic. I tried to make the particular scene as tasteful as possible, but yeah it is what it is..._**

* * *

_"Spring sweet rhythm dance in my head  
__Slip into my lover's hands  
__Kiss me won't you kiss me now  
__And sleep I would inside your mouth  
__Don't be us too shy  
__For knowing it's no big surprise that  
__I will wait for you  
__I will wait for no one but you  
__Oh please lover lay down  
__Spend this time with me  
__Together share this smile  
__Lover lay down"_

_Lover Lay Down by The Dave Matthews Band_

* * *

**March 11, 2013**

Seeing Troy everyday was torture. Knowing that just beneath his eyelids were oceans of blue, just past his lips was the tongue that had brought the words that sounded like sweet music and the hand that the IV drip was stuck in used to protect her- it hurt. It was like a twisted, sad Christmas. You know just beneath that thin layer of paper is something that will be bring you joy. But waiting for Christmas was the hardest part, especially when you didn't know when Christmas was going to be.

Gabriella had started to use Troy's things, to keep him fresh in her memory. She'd wear his clothes- from his sweatshirts to his gym shorts, she made his favorite foods and eat them from his favorite plate. At night, when she fell asleep, she'd clutch his pillow to her chest in hopes that his scent would still cling to it. She'd even taken to driving his truck. The gigantic mammoth of a truck that she had always hated, had become one of her last links to the man she loved; the man she was losing.

* * *

**April 13, 2012**

"I'm driving tomorrow." Gabriella stated matter-of-factly, her eyes never leaving the powder sugar covered funnel cake in front of her. She and Troy had gone to a fair in the next town over, as it was their last weekend together before Troy left for South Carolina. They had only been inside the grounds when Gabriella's stomach had growled, causing the duo to make a pit stop on their trek toward the rides.

"And what makes you so sure?" Troy asked, taking a sip from their shared lemonade.

"I'm so sure..." Gabriella told him looking up, "because I said so."

"Eh, we'll see."

"No we won't. You always drive that clunky huge thing when we go out. It's time we put my baby to use."

"Did you just call Cassandra clunky?" Troy asked slowly.

"Did _you_ just call your truck Cassandra?"

"I did." Troy said, collecting the trash from the table they'd sat at. "Why don't we make a deal." He suggested as he tossed the plate and cup into the large green bin.

Gabriella eyed him suspiciously, before grabbing the hand he held out for her. "I'm listening."

"We'll go to the Go-Karts and race. If I win, we'll take Cassandra. If you win, you can drive your little girl car."

"Deal."

At the far right side of the carnival was a gated off area, in which groups of people could race the go-karts. Troy and Gabriella made their way in that direction, both of their competitive sides showing through. The man that stood at the entrance of the gate alerted them that races consisted of four people and they would have to wait for another pair. Luckily Troy's charm wasn't strictly for women, and he was able to talk the man into letting them race alone.

They lined up at the starting line, Gabriella in a purple car and Troy in a black one.

"Can you even see over the wheel?" Troy called to Gabriella, making fun of her 5'1 frame.

The light was red.

"Do you know how to drive anything besides a tractor, country boy?"

In a flash it had changed to yellow.

"Are you sure ya'll two are datin'?"The carnival worker called out, interjecting Troy and Gabriella's banter.

Green.

The two took off, leaving pebbles and dust flying in trail of their tires. The winner would be determined after three laps around the small, oval-shaped track. Troy immediately shot off on the straight, long side clear ahead of Gabriella when he reached the first curve. He turned around laughing at Gabriella trailing him. By the time they had reached the second curve, she had caught up and was right on his tail. When Troy went to maneuver around the turn, Gabriella was already there taking the lead. For the next two laps, Gabriella and Troy alternated in first and second place, with troy being the eventual winner.

"You cheated." Gabriella stated simply, while removing her helmet.

Troy walked from his car to where Gabriella stood. near her's. "No, I won fair and square," He stopped in front of her and placed his hands on her hips. He smirked. "Don't be a sore loser, Brie."

"I'm not a sore loser." She told him crossing her arms and sticking out her tongue, playfully.. "You're just a cheater."

"Youre cute when you're upset."

"Well, you're not cute when you cheat."

Troy bent down, pecking her lips and wrapping his arms around her completely. He rested his head on her shoulder, so his lips were adjacent to her ears. "Forgive me?"

"Only if you take me on the ferris wheel."

* * *

**April 15, 2012**

Gabriella sat on the loveseat of her living room, absentmindedly stroking the head of her black cocker spaniel, Fitz. She'd admittedly been paying less attention to the dog since she and Troy had begun going out. After her date with Troy last night, he'd come back to her place to watch a movie. While the movie was playing, the pair's attention wasn't exactly directed at the screen. With Gabriella straddling him on the couch, they became engaged in an intense makeout session. Soon after they'd begun Troy had pulled away; saying that Fitz was staring at him. When Gabriella turned from her place in his lap, Fitz was in fact looking directly at them with his big, brown puppy dog eyes. Instantly, Gabriella felt sorry for the Troy leaving in three days, she'd be able to spend more time with her dog; but leaving him alone tonight just felt wrong.

Since she and Troy were only finishing up his last bit of packing tonight, she figured that Fitz could come along for the trip. With the hairier of her two favorite boys in tow, Gabriella drove her blue Prius to Troy's place after stopping and picking up some take-out for them to eat.

Gabriella knocked on Troy's front door, with Fitz situated behind her legs and the take-out held up so it would be the first thing he saw when he opened the door. "I came with surprises!" She said, when the door opened. Troy reached for the bag of food, noticing the lime green leash around her wrist.

"You trying to butter me up with Thai food, so I'll let him in here?" Troy asked, nodding his head toward Fitz.

She wrapped her arms around his waist. "Of course not! He wanted to see you before you left."

"Did he tell you that?" Troy smirked at her.

"Yep. Isn't that right Fitzie?" Gabriella replied, picking the dog up to hold next to her face. Troy looked between the two of them and couldn't help but let out a laugh.

* * *

Troy and Gabriella made it through dinner, with small talk; what Troy would be doing while he was away, when they'd be able to visit, and other things involving his leave. They'd finished their meal and had begun going through his room, making sure he had everything he needed.

"You know you could stay here, while I'm gone." Troy threw out.

Gabriella tossed him a plain white t-shirt to pack into the suitcase. She turned and looked at him, mulling over the idea.

"Because it's bigger than your apartment, y'know. And it's closer to the studio- I mean you don't have to. I was just offering. I don't want to for-..." Troy backtracked, taking her silence as rejection.

"No, I want to. Not everyday, but I will. You know that means Fitz will be my cuddle buddy, since you won't be here."

"In my bed?"

"Yep." Gabriella beamed at Troy, tossing him a couple pairs of work-out shorts. "Are you jealous?"

"Not as jealous as you are of Cassandra." Troy quipped back.

"I'm definitely not jealous of your truck."

"Well you should be."

A pair of socks came flying at Troy's head. He smiled over at his scowling girlfriend, having caught them before they made impact. "Brie...I didn't want you to find out this way. Cass has been with me longer, you can't just come in and steal her spot." He joked with her.

Gabriella slowly pushed the drawer closed, deciding that they were done packing for now. She turned back and sauntered over to Troy, ridding herself of the teal hoodie along the way. She gently placed her hands on his chest, feeling his breath hitch in his throat. "Can a truck do this?" Gabriella murmured, before placing small kisses and nips on his jaw. Her hands roamed over his abs under his shirt.

"Hmmm, Dr. Bolton?" She'd never called him that before, but there was a first time for everything and this first time drove him wild.

"N-nno, it can't."

"What about this?" She asked, leaving kisses down his neck as she pulled his shirt over his head. Troy hands gripped her hips, needing something to hold on to.

"Definitely not."

She pushed his suitcase off of the bed and nudged Troy, so he fell where it had laid. Climbing onto the bed after him, she leaned over him, hovering over his face. "Remind me again, what you said about the truck."

Troy chuckled, pulling her down so she straddled him. "That you're so much better." He captured her lips in a much needed kiss. His hands traveled down, grazing down her sides before settling on the hem of floral tank top. Gabriella giggled against his lips, letting her fingers get lost in his sandy hair. Troy broke away from the kiss, connecting eyes with Gabriella questioning her. Gabriella sat up from her horizontal position, never breaking eye contact as she unbuckled his belt in answer to his questioning eyes.

With Gabriella giving him the ok, Troy wasted no time in pulling her tank top from her body. He gently rolled over, so Gabriella lay on the bed below him. Troy leaned down, trailing kisses from the valley between her breasts to her belly button. His hands reached around her back as he kiss the top of her chest that wasn't concealed by her pink lace bra. He unclasped the bra, freeing her. Instantaneously, his mouth was attached to her buds. A gasp escaped Gabriella as she found the top of his pants, unbuttoning and unzipping them. She slipped her hand past his waistline, stroking him through the cotton material of his boxer briefs.

Troy groaned and rolled over, so he was laying next to Gabriella. He tugged off his own jeans, before turning and doing the same with Gabriella. He stayed next to her, reaching across and running a finger down her cheek, outlining her face. She turned her face, looking at him with a look he'd never seen on her before.

Pure, uninhibited lust.

Troy quickly sat up, placing simple kisses up her thigh. When he got to her intimate parts, he left hot open mouth kisses through the fabric of her panties. Gabriella hands once again gravitated to his hair, pulling him up to her. She attached her lips to his and raked her hands down his abs before she attached them to the top of his underwear. Hooking her fingers there, she pulled them down. Gabriella, then began to stroke Troy causing him to groan in pleasure. His blue eyes shut as his head rolled back, revelling in the feeling. He pulled away, not wanting their time together to end prematurely.

Scooting his body down the bed, Troy moved himself so he could return the favor. He pulled Gabriella's now dampened panties down, relishing the feeling of her smooth skin beneath his fingers. He moved back up her legs before placing a slow lick to her folds, eliciting a guttural moan from Gabriella. He continued to lap at her center whilst he pushed a finger into her. Gabriella clutched the blue sheets of his bed as she felt the pleasure build up inside of her. Her legs began to quiver around Troy, signifying that she was near her peak. Just as she felt her release coming, Troy pulled away.

"Not yet, beautiful." He told the panting brunette, laid out before him. Troy reached over to the bedside table, pulling a foil packet from the top drawer. Gabriella smiled, felinely as she took the condom from Troy's hands. She ripped it open and pulled it from the package in one swift motion. As she crawled from where she was on the bed to Troy, it was evident to him that when she was in the mood, Gabriella Montez became a full blown sex kitten. She pushed the condom down over Troy's member and kissed her way up his chest. She swung her leg over him, taking her position above him.

Troy's hands instinctively went around her hips, kneading her bum as she lowered herself onto him. Gabriella's mouth o'd as Troy filled her completely. Her eyes closed as the two of them found a rhythm that suited them. Troy's head fell back against the headboard as the only sound in the room was his skin on her's. No words were needed as everything was laid out between the two.

After two more rounds, the only sound in the room was the panting breath that escaped Gabriella and Troy's parted lips. She rolled from her place on top of him, keeping her hand on his chest. Troy wrapped an arm around her waist, loosely. He placed a kiss to her hair and closed his eyes. Sleep began to overtake the pair, they had just thoroughly worn themselves out. Gabriella quickly drifted to sleep with Troy's heartbeat beneath her hand bringing a smile to her face.

* * *

April 17, 2012

Gabriella had finally gotten the chance to drive Troy in her car. This morning she had the task of taking him to the airport, so he could fly to South Carolina. He'd decided against driving because the military would pay for his plane ticket, while he'd have to pay out of pocket for gas and filling his truck was expensive.

When Gabriella had herself together, she made her way outside and got into her car. She put the key into the ignition and turned, expecting the car to spring to life. Instead, she sat and listened to the engine sputter and turn over, repeatedly.

"Just my luck." she muttered, pulling her phone from the center console and dialling Troy's number.

"You on your way?" He asked, upon answering the phone.

"Um, about that." she started, "My car won't start."

Troy's burst of laughter filled the line. She could hear him moving around in the background and then came the jingle of his keys. "Cassandra never leaves me stranded."

"Shut up." she giggled.

"Give me fifteen minutes, I'll swing by and you can just drive the truck home from the airport and until you get your car fixed."

* * *

Gabriella and Troy stood, her arms circled around his middle and his's around her neck, holding her close to his chest. His plane had arrived and was leaving in a few minutes.

"July. I'll be back for the Fourth of July." He said, into her hair.

"That's still really far away." she whispered. She placed her chin on his chest and looked up at him. "Troy?"

"Mmm?"

"I love you." It was quiet. If she hadn't said his name first he would have missed it, but she had and he'd heard it.

He smiled down at her, but she wasn't looking at him. She'd gone back to being nuzzled into his chest. "More than Fitz?" he question, jokingly. "Because I love you way more than Cassandra."

Gabriella pulled away from him and looked into his eyes, questioningly. The smirk on his face confirmed that he had in fact just said that. He pulled her back to him, kissing her square on the lips. The last call for his flight sounded through the airport. Gabriella hugged him tightly, willing herself not to cry. Troy pulled her chin up to him. "You're too beautiful to be sad, Brie. I'll be back before you know it.". He kissed her once more, and then he was off.

Gabriella folded her arms, watching him walk down the terminal. This whole situation made her feel so silly, she was crying over a guy she'd known for four months. She was vowing herself to wait for a guy she hadn't even known for half of a year. It all seemed so silly, but to her it felt so right. As she climbed into the huge truck, that was her temporary means of transportation, she couldn't help but smile. It felt right because it was love.

She was in love. And Troy loved her back.

* * *

_**A/N:  
****Yeah, I'm sorry for not updating. Life got in the way. Also, I didn't edit this chapter b/c I felt guilty for how long I'd gone without posting and I just wanted to get something out there. Sorry if there are a bunch of mistakes. I hope everyone had a lovely Easter (and everything else that may have happened in the last few weeks lol). I'm so excited that I got to use DMB, and Lover Lay Down is one of my favorite songs. lol Good news is that I'm almost out of school. Just two months lol... I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and I hope the sex scene wasn't too awkward, it was my first time writing one. Thanks for everyone that has read and enjoyed this story and thank you for all the lovely reviews. You guys are the best.**_

_**love as always,**_

_** dev.(:**_


	6. Chapter 6: Daddy?

**Chapter 6: Daddy?  
**

**Disclaimer: I own the plot, and only the plot.**

* * *

_"Am I serious? Maybe it's true_  
_Can't believe that I just let myself go_  
_Is it obvious? Should I had the clues?_  
_Got Cupid-shot and I'm not gonna lose_  
_But I don't seem to care about what they say_  
_All I really wanna do is think about you all day_  
_And all these feelings that I have_  
_Have got me falling so bad_  
_Hey Mr. Bright Eyes_  
_Where you been all of my life?_  
_I've been daydreaming 'bout you_  
_I cannot deny what feels so true"_

_Mr. Bright Eyes by Rebecca Ferguson_

* * *

**March 27, 2013**

Most mothers hope that their babies will arrive on time, on the exact day that they are due. Gabriella wasn't most mothers. With each day drawing closer to her due date and Troy still laying unconscious, she prayed that he would wake in time to see the birth of their son- or their son would hold out long enough for his father to wake up. There had been no changes in his condition. Each day her son's appearance drew closer, chances of Troy waking up lessened.

Looking back, Gabriella had thought the hardest part of being in a relationship with Troy would be dealing with his deployments. Now she understood full well that when you dated a serviceman, you dated the military, too. Five months with Troy in a different state paled in comparison to two months of him in a coma. As she sat on the couch with a carton of Ben & Jerry's balanced on her stomach and Fitz's head in her lap, she would have given damn near anything to go back to those months without him. She could deal will miles between the two of them, but she couldn't deal with the prospect of living without him, altogether.

Now was when the countdown began; would Troy be awake for their baby to be born? Would he be born on time? Would he be there to help her pick a name? What was she even supposed to name their son, if his father wasn't there? There were so many questions and with the baby due soon, she just hoped the answers would become evident.

But Troy had made a promise. He'd promised that he would always be there. He'd told her that a child would only bring them closer together. He'd promised that when the time came, he was going to be the best father. She believed that promise and military men didn't break promises. That promise was the only thing that Gabriella could hold on to.

The only thing she could believe in.

* * *

**May 19, 2012**

It had been a month since Troy left for South Carolina. He and Gabriella had fallen into a routine. They hadn't been talking everyday, as the two had quickly learned it was impossible; but text messages were exchanged daily. Whether the other replied in a timely manner was a different story. Gabriella was bogged down at the studio; summer meant that she had to organize the next season of classes, place students in age groups, and select who would be apart of the competition team and the company. Troy was also constantly busy. From medical seminars, military training, and special airman workshops, Troy;s days usually lasted fourteen hours. He'd wake no later than five, occasionally giving Gabriella a good morning call- well voice mail His calls were important to Gabriella, but she still wasn't waking up before seven-thirty, at the earliest. Even with their hectic schedules and games of phone tag, no matter what happened during their weeks or how they felt; on Saturday nights at eight, the couple had to have their Skype dates.

In the time since Troy had been away, Gabriella had also grown closer to Misti. Having spent such a great deal of time with Troy during her first few months in Virginia, Gabi hadn't made many friends, Misti's company was much appreciated. Today, the two were going to the bakery to pick up a snack and coffee before heading to a movie.

The pair sat at a lavender table, located close to the counter, nibbling on cupcakes. "Misti, if I tell you something..." She looked up at the girl, checking her eyes. "Will you promise not to tell Troy or Rebekah?"

"Oh, Lord. You're not moving back home, are ya? Now that Tripp is gone, you don't wanna be here in little podunk Virginia. Gabi, girl, you can't move!" Misti let out quickly, her accent slurring all of the words together.

"No, I actually like it here. It's not like home, but it's. That's not it, though. It's something else."

Misti looked toward Gabriella quizzically, absentmindedly ripping her cupcake paper into strips. "Then what is it?"

"I- uh... I might be late."

She coughed loudly, nearly choking on her french vanilla coffee. "That's not a maybe situation, sweetheart. You either are or you aren't. Are you late?"

Gabriella nodded, looking down. Misti slammed her coffee mug onto the table, looking at Gabriella and ranting. "That boy is a damn doctor and he can't wrap his freaking d-"

"Whoa!" Gabriella cut in, before Misti went to far. "We did use protection...the first time."

"You have got to be kiddin' me."

"I mean, it was the next morning when I went to take a shower...and he did too. But I mean.." Gabriella looked down, blushing. "It was a spur of the moment kind of thing."

Misti's blue eyes were unreadable as she looked across the table. "Screw the movie." The redhead called, tossing fifteen bucks onto the tabletop. "We're going to the drugstore to get to the bottom of this."

* * *

"Wait, what's supposed to happen?" Gabriella questioned, looking at the four white sticks in her hand.

Misti read over the box, quickly. "Uh, it says purple lines are going to show up. Two means you're drinking juice for nine months. One means, we both get a shot of tequila."

Gabriella looked down at the sticks, scanning all of them to confirm the results. "Misti..."

"Mmm...?"

"Do me a favor?"

"Yeah, what is it?" She looked at Gabriella, completely confused.

"Go look in the drawer under the sink and get out the tequila, it was a false alarm!"She squealed and ran over to Misti, pulling her into a hug.

"No, we're going to the bar. Go put on something short and cute to show off your cute little figure that won't be changing."

And that night they did exactly what they planned on. They drank. They drank to Gabriella not being pregnant. They drank to their friendship. They drank to the hot bartender, who was apparently gay. And they drank to the group of college boys who apparently thought they had a chance with them. But that night when Gabriella got home and snuggled up in bed with Fitz, she decided that she would have much rather spent her night with Troy. Looking at the clock, she saw that it was officially 2:37, Saturday morning and she drifted to sleep knowing that she and Troy would finally get to have their videochat in less than twenty-four hours.

* * *

The name she'd been longing to see finally flashed across the screen of her MacBook. She didn't want to seem too eager, but the urge to click accept won her over. The blue eyes that she was so used to seeing everyday looked back at her and suddenly, she felt relieved. Like for the next hour or so, nothing would matter.

"Troy..." His name came out as a sigh, as a smile settled on Gabriella's face. She'd had to busy herself all day, taking Fitz to the dog park, doing yoga at Troy's place, and eventually falling asleep for a nap on his couch. From the time she woke up ten, she had been counting down the hours until his face would appear on the screen.

"Hey, pretty girl." He took her in, hair piled on top of her head, no makeup, one of his sweatshirts, as she shoveled a salad into her mouth; and decided that he was the most fortunate and blessed individual on earth. "Couldn't resist going to my place?" He teased, before inquiring further. "How was your week?"

Gabriella slowed her chewing, using the time to mull over how much she'd tell him. Between the pregnancy scare and running into an eerily friendly Erin at the dog park, she'd had an eventful few days. "How do you feel about kids?" She asked, rather than answering his question directly.

His blue eyes bulged slightly, "You realize I'm a pediatrician, right?"

"I mean kids of your own, dumb ass!"

"Oh. I uh- definitely want kids, three or four, but not for a while. Y'know, once we've settled down."

"We?" She smirked.

"Well, yeah. I want little Brie's runnin' around in the future." He told her running his hand along the top of his freshly buzzed hair.

"Then we need to be a little more careful, Troy. This was my week, wondering how you felt about kids, worrying about what might have been. I was late, I thought I was pregnant and I didn't even have my sisters or my mom or you."

Troy sat, just looking at Gabriella, letting it sink in. "I love you, Troy; but this between us is still new."

He sighed, "I wish I coulda been there, but this is my job. If we're in this for the long haul, we have to be professional long-distancers. Just know that I may not always be there physically, but I'm here for whatever gets thrown our way."

"Long-distancers?" she giggled, finally lightening the mood of the conversation.

Troy chuckled back at her, "There's that smile! I wait all week to see my beautiful girlfriend and-"

"Beautiful is right!" A voice came from out of the shot of the webcam. "You gonna introduce me, Bolton?"

A huff escaped Troy's lips as a second face appeared next to his. He was attractive, in a nerdy way; pale skin, icy blue eyes hidden by a pair of glasses, and platinum blonde hair. "Clem, this is my girlfriend Gabriella." He made a gesturing motion in the camera. "Brie, this is -"

"Tate Clemmons, Tech Sergeant." He sent a wink at Gabriella.

"Was I not clear when I said girlfriend?" Troy asked through gritted teeth, a rare glimpse of his jealous side. "Now do you wanna leave, so we can finish this conversation without you trying to move in on her?"

"I'll leave Troy boy, but it doesn't mean she didn't like what she saw." Tate called out opening the door, "Bye beautiful!" he called to Gabriella.

"Well he seems nice." Gabriella mumbled, forking more salad into her mouth.

"He's an asshole." Troy told her, an annoyed look on his face. "I can't wait until I can get away from him for a weekend, and relieve some stress with you." He winked, his huffy appearance melting away.

"I tell you that I thought I was pregnant and you jump right back into the sex talk?!" She exclaimed bemusedly, with a small smile gracing her lips.

"What can I say?" Troy started, his voice oozed charm. "I have a beautiful, exotic girlfriend who I love dearly. You can't blame a man for thinking about it."

"A beautiful, exotic girlfriend who was almost the mother of your child after only knowing you for five months!"

"Who I would have stood by through all nine months of cravings, mood swings and weight gain." He smiled, trying his hardest to make Gabriella give in and play along in his sexual banter. "And I will stand next to when the time comes. I'll be there as much as possible, I won't leave your side."

"Well, in that case you need to hurry home. Fitz is great and all, but he sucks at cuddling compared to you. And I don't want him in the shower with me..." She told him, her eyes darkening in lust as she took on much more sultry persona.

"Brie, don't start anything. We both know you can't finish right now."

"I'm only continuing what you started, babe. Feeling a little heated?" She smirked at him, turning his own game around.

"I didn't start this with the intention to push you over the edge, I was just having a little fun. Now I need a cold shower." He mumbled. "I hate to cut this short, but I'm gonna need to take care of this." Troy told her, without an ounce of joking in his voice. His blue eyes only held honesty.

Gabriella burst out laughing, failing miserably to contain it. "I barely said two words, control yourself Bolton!" Her laughter only subsiding when she caught the glare Troy was sending through the screen.

"Awww, poor baby. But I still love you."

"I hate you."

Gabriella pouted, "But I thought you would stand by me. I laugh at you and you hate me all of a sudden?!"

Troy finally smiled back at, realizing he couldn't keep up his front for much longer. "I could never hate you Gabriella Montez and I will stand by you. Through anything. Just do the same for me."

"Always. Just hurry home."

"I love you, Brie. Goodnight, gorgeous."

Gabriella rolled her eyes. "Goodnight, suck up."

And with that she logged off, shutting her laptop. She snuggled deeper into his sweatshirt, looking at the clock. 9:17. 167 hours until eight o'clock next Saturday, but this time she'd wait it out knowing that she and Troy were in it for the long haul. That she would be waiting for him, being his support system, and that he would always come rushing back to her. Now all she had to do was wait. And waiting was the hardest part.

* * *

**A/N: Yeah, so I'm not sure I really liked this chapter. It was pretty much a filler, setting up for something a little later on. Sorry it's so short and it's probably filled with mistakes. This is the draft that's been sitting on my computer for weeks and I just wanted to get something out. I'm literally ashamed at how long it takes me to update, lol but I'm trying. I really love all of you loyal reviewers. You guys make my day. And all of the favorites and alerts are kinda shocking to me. There are so many more than I thought there would be when I started this story. Please review, let me know what you for all the continued support!**

**love as always,**

** dev.(:**


	7. Chapter 7: The Fifth Degree

**Chapter 7: The Fifth Degree**

**_Disclaimer: I'm not affiliated with Disney, HSM, or Rascal Flatts._**

* * *

_"If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile,  
But more than anything, more than anything,  
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,  
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,  
You never need to carry more than you can hold,  
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,  
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,  
Yeah, this, is my wish.  
I hope you never look back, but ya never forget,  
All the ones who love you, in the place you left,  
I hope you always forgive, and you never regret,  
And you help somebody every chance you get,  
Oh, you find God's grace, in every mistake,  
And you always give more than you take."_

_My Wish by Rascal Flatts_

* * *

**2013**

How long had it been since he'd seen her face? It seemed like he should have been back to her by now. He heard her everyday. He felt her, when she'd touch him. But she never responded to him. She would never answer his questions and he had so many questions.

Why did she sound so sad? Why was his mother always screaming at him? How was the baby doing, had she said it was a boy? When did he get back to Virginia or had they come to him? Wait, why would they come to him, that made no sense...Who were the other voices that he heard? There were three other women and a man. A man who Gabriella apparently didn't like, judging by what she said after the man spoke.

But his biggest question: What the hell was that bright, circular light? Why was it so warm? Why did he have the urge to go towards it? But, the why did it feel like he should do everything in his power to stay away from it?

And then his answer came, whether she knew she'd answered him or not; it was all he needed. "Stay with me, Troy. Please don't leave." Her voice said. He could feel her hand wrap around his, as something wet fell onto the space between his thumb and pointer finger. She was crying. She needed him. Her forehead was against their hands, as she kept repeating the request like it was the only thing she had. Her last resort. "Please don't leave me..."

He couldn't leave her, even if he didn't know where he was or where he was going. He searched for her voice, going where it lead him.

* * *

**May 27, 2012**

"I wish you could come with me! My family is just going to hound me about you." Gabriella grumbled. She and Troy were having their usual Skype date. She was currently sitting on the floor, packing her bags as she was going home tomorrow for a few days. Tomorrow was Memorial Day, meaning the whole Montez and Peragine clan was coming together. Her family get-togethers could only be described as loud. Between the Italian speakers, the Spanish speakers and all of the offspring, it was easy to become overwhelmed.

"You know I'd come if I could. Although, I don't think your parents would approve of what I would be doing to their daughter after not seeing her for so long." Troy said, with a smirk watching as Gabriella sent him a look as she put her toiletries into a bag.

"Control yourself, Bolton!" She told him, smiling into the computer screen. Every time the two had a conversation, Troy always went from zero to sixty. Being away from Gabriella wasn't doing anything beneficial for him.

"Sorry." He started, sheepishly, his face turning red. "Tell me about your family. I really wish I was meeting them. I want to thank the people who made you possible." He winked.

Gabriella started to answer, pausing first to roll her eyes at his inability to keep their conversations rated G. "Well, there's Mom and Papa, Nicoletta and Santiago. Then there's Dominic, Elias, and Lucieno- my older brothers. Chiara, my older sister and Mateo, the baby of the family. Dominic, Lucieno and Chiara are married and between the three of them, they have five kids. Mat is a junior in high school and Eli is the free spirit. He's on an archaeological dig somewhere in South America, now." Gabriella giggled, thinking about her massive family. "We're not exactly what you're used to." She told him, referring to the southern ideals by which she was raised.

"We're just a big, loud Catholic family."

The look on Troy's face mimicked that of a constipated child as he went over something in his head. "Will they even like me? I mean your Dad and brothers could be a starting lineup for a basketball team."

"Is there some reason they shouldn't? Ex-wife, kids, something I don't know about?" She joked, despite Troy not finding it funny. " Of course, they'll like you. Why wouldn't they? My dad and Dominic might try to intimidate you, but they're all bark."

"I just picture them being a bunch of Marlon Brando, godfather-type guys."

She looked at him, dumbfounded. "My dad's an accountant, what could he possibly do?"

"He could have this double life you don't know about." Troy reasoned, not realising how crazy he sounded.

"You're not even going to meet my family! Why are you freaking out?"

Troy looked away from the webcam, shrugging. "I'll have to meet them sometime..."

"And when the time comes, I'll protect you from my dad and his big bad calculator."

"Haha," He said facetiously, sending her an unamused look. "shouldn't you be going to bed anyway? You have an eight hour door ahead of you tomorrow."

Gabriella glanced at the clock, seeing it was already a quarter past eleven. She reluctantly zipped up her bag, making a mental note to add her deodorant to the top pouch after using it in the morning and turned to Troy.

"I'm going after I take a shower. ." She told him, yawning and realizing how sleepy she actually was. "Good night."

" Night, Brie. Text me when you get there?"

She nodded, blowing him a kiss and signing off. As she drifted off to sleep that night, thoughts of her family interacting with a certain blue eyed boy filled her dreams. The idea brought a smile to her face, even if it wouldn't take place for months to come. It was the idea, it was him; he was special, he was the one.

* * *

Gabriella had barely put her car in park when a swarm of Montez's appeared. Her mother and father lead the pack, while her siblings and cousins were hot on their tails. Before she could even finish her text to Troy, her mother had the door to her car open. She pulled Gabriella out, enveloping her in a hug. "Gabi, my baby." The hug was suffocating, but Gabriella didn't dare interrupt her mother.

When she was finally released from the hug, Nicoletta still held her daughter's face in between her palms. "I missed you." She placed a kiss on each of her cheeks, before she let her go completely.

"It's only been a few months, Ma." A male voice stated, from behind Nicoletta. "Let the rest of us see her."

"Dom!" Gabriella stepped around her mother and into the arms of her oldest brother. He lifted her off the ground, his 6'3 frame overpowering Gabriella's much smaller body. Dominic was the biggest, age-wise and in size. He had always been protective over his two sisters, but he and Gabriella were the closest. Their relationship was the strongest, despite the normal brother-sister spats.

She made it through the rest of her family, Hugging her father, sister, and brothers; each making their own comments. It felt good to be home, granted, it would be better if Troy had been able to come. Lucieno and her father went to get her bags from the trunk, while Chiara let Fitz out of the passenger seat. Gabriella stood watching, until Dominic stepped into her view. "When are we going to talk about the boy?" He asked, smirking.

"Luego, Dom." She said, alerting him that they would talk later when her whole family wasn't around. They were quickly interrupted by their mother and ushered through the house to the backyard, where the rest of their family was waiting. After greeting the extended family, the food was served. She finally got the chance to send her text to Troy once she'd sat down with her plate of food. Troy's response of "Glad u made it in 1 piece. Don't wanna lose any part of u.(; love u, have fun." made her smile, which didn't go unnoticed by Dominic from his place manning the grill. He definitely needed to know more about the boy who was making his baby sister smile like that.

* * *

Gabriella hugged her aunt goodbye, as the last of her family shuffled out of the front door. She turned around to go out back and clean up the remnants of the party. She carried the last bit of her mother's famous pasta salad into the kitchen and placed it in the fridge, all the while avoiding the gaze Dominic was sending her way. She smirked at him as she started loading dishes into the dishwasher.

"Yes, Dom?"

"Finish up and we'll watch a movie."

"Like when we were younger, when we'd spill our guts over a popcorn?" She asked, hopefully.

"I'll even let you pick what we watch, sorellina." He told her, placing a kiss on her forehead and leaving the kitchen as Chiara walked in.

"Are you gonna spill, sis?" She questioned just as Gabriella closed to the dishwasher and started it up.

"You guys are so nosy!" She giggled. "We're doing a movie night, get ready if you want to talk."

A grin spread across Chiara's face. "Yes! Texts and calls just don't cut it when a cute boy is involved. Let me go change into my pajamas and I'll be right down."

Nothing had changed, it was just like it had been when Dominic would come home on breaks from college. Just him and his little sisters. Gabriella, clad in hot pink pajamas, snuggled herself into the recliner under her zebra print blanket. Dominic lay sprawled across the couch in basketball shorts and a t-shirt. Chiara, wearing her favorite Hello Kitty linen shorts, situated herself onto the floor on a mountain of throw pillows and blankets. The bowl of popcorn sat next to a tub of ice cream. What had originally been soda in their cups, was now wine coolers for the girls and a beer for Dominic. The movie for the night was "Casablanca", with Carmen Miranda, but the attention was more focused on the girl who'd chosen the movie.

According to the clock on the Blu Ray player, the movie had been playing twenty minutes and fifty-three seconds; this was also approximately how long Gabriella's brother and sister had been staring at her. She finally, turned her head and gave in. "You'd like him." She directed at Dominic.

He raised an eyebrow waiting for her to elaborate. "He's really sweet and has that country boy thing going for him. The way he treats me is the total opposite of guys in Jersey, he's like an actual gentlemen."

"He's not like those guys on Duck Dynasty, is he?" Dominic asked. "Those accents lower my IQ."

"He does have an accent, not a thick one. It's actually really cute." She told him. Chiara was shoveling popcorn down her throat, and hanging onto Gabriella's every word. She'd married her high school sweetheart and had always lived vicariously through Gabriella's lovelife, although she'd never admit it to her husband.

Dominic rolled his eyes at his little sister; he'd never encountered a southern accent that he would classify as "cute".

"Dom, he's a mama's boy. They way he treats her, you'd think he was Italian." She hoped that would soften him up to the idea of Troy a little.

Chiara looked between the two of them, as she moved on to the ice cream. "He's in the military, Nicky." She chimed in, trying to help Gabriella out with a mouth full of cookie dough ice cream and using their childhood nickname for him.

Dominic shot her a look, before looking back to Gabriella. "Do you really like him, Elle?"

Gabriella nodded, smiling. "I really do. Do you want to see a picture of him- he's pretty cute..." She pulled up a picture of them in the airport, the day he left for training and tossed her phone to Dominic. Being the big brother he was, Dominic couldn't help but realize the smile his little sister had on her face as the boy looked down at her instead of at the camera.

"Well, I'm not approving of some kid I've never met but you let him know that he better take good care of you." He said. Gabriella jumped up from the chair and ran over to her brother, enveloping him a hug. "And you better make sure he's at the next get together. You only get one pass." He finished, Gabriella's grip getting tighter with each word.

"If it makes you feel any better, you'll still be my favorite guy." Gabriella told him as she sat up, their movie having long been abandoned.

"Bullsh-" Dominic called out, eliciting laughter from both of his sisters.

"My favorite brother?"

Dominic shrugged, sitting up on the couch. "I guess I'll take it." He turned and sent a smile in her direction and ruffled her hair. They'd always switch back into sibling mode, where they'd fight playfully. But, in the end he'd always want what was best for her and what made her happy. From the way she talked about Troy and the way he looked at her in the picture she'd showed him, his opinion on Troy really didn't matter. He just wanted her to find the love he found in his wife; and it looked like she had.

He was giving them his blessing, in his own Dominic sort of way. But she was accepting it. It was all that was missing from her relationship with Troy and now she had it.  
An approval.

* * *

**A/N:**  
**Yeah, I clearly just suck at updating. I don't even know what to say. And I'm really sorry if this chapter sucks, because I didn't really like it too much but I wanted you guys to get a glimpse into Gabriella's family. I didn't update, so sorry for any mistakes. ****But yeah, thanks for all of you guys for sticking with me. I am literally FLOORED with how many alerts/favorites I get per week. You're all so sweet. Stick with me, there's going to be some action next chapter, if you know what I mean. haha.**

**love as always,**  
** dev.(:**


	8. Chapter 8: Independence Day

**Chapter 8: Independence Day**

"'_Cause love don't know what distance is  
__Yeah, I know it's crazy  
__But I don't want "good" and I don't want "good enough"  
__I want "can't sleep, can't breathe without you" love  
__Front porch and one more kiss, it doesn't make sense to anybody else  
__Who cares if you're all I think about,  
__I've searched the world and I know now,  
__It ain't right if you ain't lost your mind  
__Yeah, I don't want easy, I want crazy  
__Are you with me baby? Let's be crazy  
__Yeah  
__I wanna be scared, don't wanna know why  
__Wanna feel good, don't have to be right  
__The world makes all kinds of rules for love  
__I say you gotta let it do what it does"_

'I Want Crazy' by Hunter Hayes

* * *

It started eight days ago.

Gabriella sat next to his unconscious body, as she did everyday. She was talking to him, telling him what had been happening since she'd been to see him last. In the middle of her story, the baby started kicking- a moment she wished he was awake to share with her. Their son hadn't been kicking much, he was more of a squirmer. Deciding that maybe it was a sign, she lifted up her shirt and reached out, grabbing Troy's hand and placing against her belly. She positioned it right over where the kicks were centered, letting Troy be a part of her pregnancy in some way.

And then it happened, his monitors started beeping; charts appeared that she had never seen. She sat, unable to move while doctors and nurses flooded the room. She was quickly ushered out and then she heard it. The unmistakable sound of Troy flatlining.

Once the nurses had safely pushed her into the hallway, they rushed back into the room. Gabriella slid down the wall, feeling her heart being torn from her chest. He was gone. Her child would never have a father. She would never have her husband. Tears spilled from her eyes in streams. The sounds of medical equipment and shouting was muffled by the thick wall, but she could hear it. She made out the sound of someone shouting before there was some sort of the movement in the room.

Gabriella's hands cradled her stomach; the baby was her last connection to Troy and she wasn't going to stress out and hurt it. She sat in the hallway, on the ground with her legs crossed and her hands acting as a protective shield to keep the horrors of the world from her unborn child. Her tears had long run dry, she had no clue how long she'd been there, she'd lost track of time but it had been a while. It was just that she couldn't bring herself to move, everything had been drained from her. And then she was pulled from her thoughts, as a woman in Strawberry Shortcake scrubs crouched in front of her. "You might want to go in there, darlin'."

"I don't think I can. I-uh-I'm not ready." Gabriella stammered.

"He asked for you."

"The doctor? Can you just send him ou-"

"No, not the doctor, Mr. Bolton." The nurse told her and watched a look of shock spread across her face. "He did flatline, but we used the defibrillator and he shocked us all and woke up. We ran some tests, that's what took so long, and everything seems to be on the right track. We told him about the pretty girl that's been sitting by his side every day and he wants to see you, sweetie." The nurse extended her hand, helping Gabriella off of the ground.

She entered the room, slowly, to see the blue eyes that she'd been missing for months. She walked as quickly as her swollen feet could carry her to his bedside. Reaching out, she cupped his cheek with her palm. "I'm sorry, Brie."

"No, you're okay. That's all that matters." She leaned down, kissing his forehead, his cheeks, and finally pecking his lips. "Just don't do it again!" She added, playfully hitting his chest. But he flinched; he turned on his side and curled up, covering himself from her.

Gabriella stepped back, unsure of what she'd done. "Troy, babe, are you okay?"

Before he could reply, she was once again pulled from the room. Troy's primary doctor, Dr. Austin, stood in front of her. "Ms. Montez, we need for you to take it slow with Troy. He's just woken up and while he's okay physically, we haven't gauged where he is mentally but after seeing that..."He told her referring to the incident that had just occurred in the room. "it appears he may suffer from post traumatic stress disorder. We don't know exactly where his head space is, so right now just try to remind him times before the accident. Be gentle with it, don't force anything on him."

And so she did. "What do you want to do for Independence Day this year? It's a ways away, but we can't exactly do what we did last year since the baby will be here." She tried him, laughing slightly and hoping for the best.

But when he smiled back it was different, the glimmer in his blue orbs was gone. The crinkles in his face didn't quite reach his eyes and he hadn't shown his teeth. It wasn't his smile.

Miraculous.

Everyone kept using that word. The doctors, the nurses, her family, random people in the town; they all told her how miraculous it was. It wasn't miraculous to her. Yeah, he'd woken up, he was back. They told her how happy she should be, that she got what she wanted. But she hadn't gotten what she wanted, he was awake but it wasn't him. He was different. He wasn't her Troy.

And he was coming home today, eight days after he'd woken up. They'd told her that his behavior could result from the accident happening in hospital, making meeting this hospital bring back bad memories, but she wasn't sure. She didn't know, but she could hope. That's all she had: hope.

* * *

**July 4, 2012**

She looked down at herself and instantly regretted her choice of clothing. There were only two other women waiting for their significant others, both of whom looked like contestants in a Texan beauty pageant. Gabriella, on the other hand, was wearing a muscle tank and Air Force sweatpants that she had stolen from Troy. She looked anxiously at the clock on her cell phone, which indicated that Troy's flight was to have landed eight minutes ago. Whipping her head around, she checked to make sure that he wasn't near before pulling the elastic band to release her hair and shaking it out.

Now, with her hair settled on around her shoulders she waited. He'd been gone for months, she should have been able to wait patiently for a few more minutes; but she couldn't. She tapped her foot and chewed on the inside of her cheek, before settling on playing a game on her phone to keep her from searching the airport for Troy.

Just as she was completely absorbed in the game, Troy rounded the corner. He spotted her instantly, making a note of how cute she looked in his pants. Trying his hardest to be stealthy, he walked up behind her.

"Excuse me, miss. I'm lookin' for somebody, do you think you could help me find her?" Gabriella nearly dropped her phone, that voice would forever be ingrained in her memory, now. She whipped around to see Troy standing in front of her dressed in his camouflage battle uniform; tanner than she remembered him being.

He took a step closer to her, smirking as she rushed forward and jumped into his arms. Her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist, while she clung onto him as if her life depended on it. She buried her face in his neck.

"I think I can help you find her..." She said, pulling her face back to look at him. "I missed you." She placed a quick peck on his lips, before detaching herself from him.

"That's all I get?" He questioned, keeping his hands secured on her hips. The puppy dog face he put on, played up his unhappiness.

Gabriella smiled, standing on her tiptoes and placing another quick kiss to his neck. "People are already staring at us, Troy." He looked around, seeing that there were in fact many different pairs of eyes on them.

He smirked down at her, pulling her body a little closer to his. "Well, let's give them a show Brie.."

"Nuh-uh." She shook her head, vigorously as she pulled herself from his grip. "Be a good boy and wait. Besides, we're supposed to go to your parents' rental house in Virginia Beach today. Your mom misses you. She almost fought me to pick you up today."

Troy groaned, grabbing his bag from the carousel and following Gabriella out to her car. Seeing as he only had two small bags, he tossed them into the backseat instead of the trunk. He turned to see Gabriella standing by the driver's side door, watching him intently. A cocky smirk appeared on Troy's face; he closed the distance between them. Closing the door, he pushed her back against it. He laid his hands flat, on top of the car, and caged her in.

"We're in public." She reminded, through a gasp.

"I know." He told her, capturing her lips in his. He'd waited so long to be near her again, he really didn't care who saw them. Troy pushed his crotch against hers and grinded slowly, as the fervent liplock continued. Gabriella threaded her fingers through his hair, ruffling it out of its neat style. His hands fell from their place on top of her car and gripped her hips, pulling her even closer. He pulled away from her lips and began kissing down her neck toward her collarbone, where he peppered small flutters of kisses.

"Troy..." Gabriella got out through her labored breathing. "babe..we're in public."

He pulled back, panting and red in the face. "Then let's get home."

Gabriella couldn't even drive without Troy distracting her. They'd barely made it out of the parking lot of the airport before he had leaned over the console to leave a series of open mouthed kisses on her shoulder. His hand brushed over her leg, before settling on the waistband of the sweats. He let his fingers run along the skin above the drawstring, pulling on the strings quickly.

"No, wait until we get home. Fifteen minutes." She told him, glancing over from where she was watching the road.

"I can't wait that long." Troy groaned, sounding more like a six year old, than a grown man.

She pulled up to a traffic light, just as it turned from yellow to red. "Troy, I promise if you can be a good boy until we get to your place, I'll be a bad girl once we get there." She leaned across the center block and kissed him, immediately plunging her tongue into his mouth. She palmed the semi hard bulge in his pants, before pulling back with a glimmer of naughtiness in her eyes and driving through the now green light.

* * *

They made it home without anymore incidents from Troy, who had seemed to calm himself down. He grabbed his bags from the back of the car and followed Gabriella up the walkway, waiting for her to unlock the door. Once it was open, it was as if a switch flipped in Troy. He was back to the eager boy that had nearly taken her in the airport parking lot.

He reached out and grabbed her from behind, pulling her body back into his. "Where do you think you're going?"

He attached his lips to her neck nipping and sucking, he'd missed her taste. The scent of her hair filled his nose. The woman was intoxicating; every little thing she did made Troy fall a little bit more. She pushed her ass into his groin and began to circle her hips, while she rested her head against his shoulder to allow Troy more space to work his mouth. He ran his hands underneath her top, letting them trail up and down her side before spinning her around and yanking the shirt above her head.

Gabriella wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling his face down to hers. Their tongues battled back and forth, in a quest for dominance. Troy backed Gabriella up against the front door, trapping her for the second time that day. Her hand slipped in between their bodies, running her hands along Troy's abs and slipping his shirt up over his head. He pulled away from the kiss and moved down to bury his face in the valley between her breasts. With his hands planted firmly on the door behind his girlfriend, he went to work licking, sucking, and kissing what was uncovered of her chest.

"Troy..." Gabriella mumbled, as she panted and moaned at the sensations Troy's mouth was eliciting. "Bed. Can we-" Her knees were going to give out soon; she could feel it.

He groaned at the idea of having to stop just to walk to the bedroom, instead, he decided that the kitchen would suffice for now. A smirk graced his face as he looked down at her and hoisted her up so her legs were around his waist. He grinded into her, making a low moan slip between Gabriella's lips; in turn, driving him wild. He needed action immediately and he turned to walk as fast as he could to the kitchen. Sitting Gabriella on the counter, he instantly went to work, easily slipping the sweatpants from her small frame.

His hands moved over her legs, landing on her thigh, just below where she craved his touch. The two locked eyes as Troy dropped to his knees, palming her mound through the lace material of her underwear. He pushed the fabric aside, keeping the eye contact as he brushed his fingers along her folds. She could feel his breath on her as her own breathing picked up.

Troy plunged two fingers into Gabriella, pumping in and out as her hips bucked to match his hands. She reached down and gripped his hair, massaging his scalp before pulling him back up to her lips. Her hands went to his belt, fumbling a bit, before unbuckling and dropping his pants. Gabriella raked her hands up from the waistband of his boxer briefs to his pecs, where she laid her palms flat against his chest. She leaned into him and placed small kisses along the length of his torso.

"I need you now, Troy." She mumbled against his abs and reached down to pull at his underwear.

He reached for his discarded pants to grab a condom only to have Gabriella's small hand grasp his wrist before he could procure it. "I'm on the pill, babe." She told his trailing kisses down his neck.

"Let's not chance it." Troy told her reaching down and grabbing the condom, not wanting a repeat of the scare they'd had a few months prior. She took the square packet from him, instantly ripping it open. Locking her eyes with his, she slid the condom onto his member slowly, making sure to squeeze firmly when she'd reached the base. Troy gripped her thighs and brought her closer to the edge of the counter.

He brushed his lips against Gabriella's as he buried himself into her most intimate area. Troy swallowed the gasp that slipped from her mouth. Circling his hands around her waist, he began picking up speed in his thrusts. The sound of skin on skin combined with their panting and moaning filled the kitchen.

"I'm close, babe...so close." She whimpered, draping her arms over his shoulder and arching her back toward him. At her comment, Troy sped up to a pace that didn't seem humanly possible to Gabriella.

With her head nuzzled into his neck, she kissed and licked from jawline to his collarbone and came unraveled. "God, I missed you so much." She mumbled, leaning back on her elbows.

Troy slipped out of her, kissing her one last time before helping her off of the counter. Gabriella wrapped her arms around her neck and kissed him quickly. "I think I need a shower." She told him, walking down the hall before turning and winking at him. And he was right on her trails.

* * *

They were walking around the back of Troy's parents' house on the beach, where they'd be having a small get together for the Fourth. Gabriella had worn a short red, white and blue plaid sundress, much to Troy's dismay as he was already having a hard time keeping his hands to himself.

"I can't believe we did it on the counter! I cooked this on that!" She said motioning to the American Flag cake she was carrying. "Is that gross? I feel like it's gross."

"You cleaned the counter with bleach three times, babe. And the cake was never directly on it." He assured her, slinging his arm around her shoulders and kissing her cheek as they came to the back of the house that happened to be situated on their own private strip of the beach.

Troy's mother rushed over to them, wrapping her son in a long hug. "My baby's back!" She said to him, cupping his face. "Rob, Troy and Gabriella are here!" Troy's father lead the pack that came out of the house to greet the couple. Misti, Zeke and some of Troy's friends joined them.

Later that night, when it was dark and they'd finished eating everyone sat around the bonfire in the sand, waiting for the fireworks that would end their night. Gabriella sat in Troy's lap as the group swapped jokes and stories. "Do you have a blanket in the truck? I'm kinda chilly."

Troy wrapped his arms around her, trying to cover as much skin as possible. "Better?" He questioned.

Gabriella rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "Not at all."

"Well, I can think of another way that will definitely warm you up." He mumbled getting closer to her ear and slipping his in between them to run it along her spine.

Gabriella whipped her head around, glaring at him. "Your mother is sitting to chairs away from us. Your father is directly across from us. Behave yourself."

"Make me." Gabriella jumped up at the statement, as Troy had pinched her butt to punctuate it.

Troy smirked as she glared down at him. He reached out to pull her back down to him but she resisted, crossing her arms and sticking out her tongue. They were unaware that they'd garnered an audience.

"Troy Phillip, you stop harassin' that girl! She's probably good and ready for you to leave again." Rebekah said standing up, her accent intensifying as she scolded her son.

"Sorry, mama." The smirk never left his face, indicating that he was not sorry in the slightest bit.

Rebekah rolled her eyes at her son, silently calling BS on his apology before turning back to his girlfriend. "Gabriella, honey, come on and help me get the fixings for the s'mores."

In the kitchen, there were three trays waiting for one of the ingredients for the s'mores. Rebekah passed Gabriella the box of graham crackers to break into squares, while she did the same with the chocolate.

"I don't want to pry, but I'm a mother and I can't really help it." Rebekah lead into her statement. "So, how do you do it?"

Gabriella looked up from the crackers, confused. "Do what?"

"The whole long distance relationship. I'm the boy's mother and I can barely stand it when he's away. I can't imagine how it is for you."

She looked back down before responding; she'd never really thought about it. "Oh, um well I guess it just comes easy when you love someone. Nothing about our relationship has been normal, so I just went along with all the random obstacles that were thrown our way. The nights like this, when we can just sit and be with one another, they make it worth it. Plus a ton of phone calls, texts, and video chats." She giggled. "I probably sound crazy..."

"No, not at all. You and Troy's relationship, now that's crazy. I could never do it, but it works for y'all." Rebekah told her, grabbing the tray. Neither had noticed Troy leaning against the patio doors, during Gabriella's spiel. Turning to leave the kitchen Rebekah caught him trying to make a quick getaway, "Uh-uh, son, get back in here and grab those marshmallows." She told him, motioning to the third tray that she or Gabriella would have had to come back for.

"Yes, ma'am."

* * *

Back outside, once everyone was roasting their marshmallows, Gabriella once again settled herself onto Troy's lap. She grabbed a skewer to start up her own s'mores as Troy pulled her down further into him, their bodies fitting perfectly as one. Leaning forward, she stuck her marshmallow into the fire as Troy pressed a hand to her stomach to steady her. He leaned forward, his lips hovering centimetres away from her ear.

He kissed her ear as discretely as possible before whispering "I've always thought that any good relationship has to be a little crazy. That's why I'm so crazy about you."

Gabriella tried her best to hide the smile from appearing on her lips as she turned toward him, blowing on the now gooey marshmallow before squishing against the chocolate inside the graham crackers. The line was so cheesy, but she couldn't help but feel tingly inside at his words. Troy leaned forward and stole a bite of her s'more, sending her a chocolatey smile afterwards. "Gotta stay crazy, right?" He questioned, looking at her like a child with his face covered in food.

Gabriella stared back at him, wiping the food from his face as laughter escaped her lips. She gave him the rest of the treat before snuggling into his side, before he had to leave again. They had a little longer than thirty-six hours, to get in all the crazy they could fit. And she intended to make the most of every second they had before he was back on the plane.

And as she leaned in to kiss the chocolate from the corners of his mouth, the sky was illuminated with a series of fireworks. She smirked, pressing her lips to his, getting her fairytale ending to his first day back.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Firstly, Troy woke up but this chapter was a doozy to write. I don't know why, it just never seemed right..but here it is. I hope the first part of the chapter isn't too confusing to follow. And I hope that you guys that he was going to wake up and have a fluffy rest of the story, it's still an uphill battle. Anyway, I planned to have this up earlier and then I got another story idea and I had to get it out. It's a short one, only three chapters (and a oneshot sequel) but I'm not gonna post it just yet. That's about it (besides the fact that school FINALLY ended on the 13th) but yeah, I hope you guys liked it. Thanks for all of the lovely reviews, I truly appreciate them. Keep 'em coming. lol This is getting long, so I'll stop it here.**

**love as always,**

**dev.(:**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Birthday Lovin'**

"_Tailgate for two underneath the stars  
Kiss on your lips when you're in my arms  
Girl, every now and then you get a night like this  
This is one that we don't wanna miss, no  
Come on baby let me take you on a night ride  
Windows down, sittin' on my side  
Tick tock now we're knocking on midnight  
Me and you girl runnin' outta moonlight  
I wanna hold you till the break of dawn  
Hear the crickets sing a riverside love song  
Hey baby, all we got is all night  
Come on now we're runnin' outta moonlight"_

'_Runnin' Outta Moonlight' by Randy Houser_

* * *

**April 12, 2013**

Gabriella sat in bed, flipping through one of the maternity books she'd picked up since the start of her pregnancy. She was just skimming the last few chapters, reading about bonding with the newborn. From where she was she could hear Troy going to work in the nursery. As soon as they'd gotten home, he went in there, telling Gabriella that he felt guilty for having missed so much. When she tried to assure him that it was okay, he simply ducked his head and went to put the finishing touches on the safari inspired room. She sat up, putting the book aside and set out to get her relationship back to where it had been. Ever since he had gotten home from the hospital, there was an obvious strain between the two of them.

She stood in the doorway, watching him put together the cozy, giraffe print rocking chair. "Troy," Gabriella called out, hesitantly. "You okay?"

"Oh, uh. Yeah." He turned toward her. "Are you okay? The baby's fine?"

Gabriella nodded just in time for Troy to turn back around and get back to the chair. "It's just you've been in here all day. Are you hungry? I can cook..." He shook his head, dismissively. "Well, aren't you tired? You don't have to finish today. We still have time before he's here." Once again, her questions were met with curt nods as Troy kept in on his work.

She ventured into the room, sitting cross legged on the floor next to where Troy was working. He stilled before he turned to where she sat staring at him. Troy raised his brow in question.

"We never had our late Christmas. The presents are in the coat closet. Do you want to open them?"

"Maybe later. Tonight?"

"Oh, okay." She nodded, slowly, looking down into her lap. "Troy you know you can talk to me about anything. If something is bothering you, if something is on your mind. Whatever, I'm all ears."

"Yeah, Brie. I do. I- I know." He said, with a small sigh which he tried to hide but Gabriella instantly picked up on.

"When I said I wasn't going anywhere I meant it, Troy. I'm not gonna leave you. Just keep that in mind?" And with that she got up and left him to his own solidarity. Once she'd safely made it into the hallway, a breath that she didn't know she was holding slipped past her lips. Making her way back into their bedroom, she racked her brain for ways to fix what appeared to be a broken relationship.

* * *

**August 21, 2012**

Two months in a row. She was getting to see Troy for the second time in two months. She smirked as she pulled into the facility where Troy was having his training for the day. He didn't know she was coming, she was surprising him for his birthday. Luckily, it had fallen on a Saturday, giving her that night and all of Sunday to celebrate.

"Damn..." Sean mumbled as he and Troy walked outside of their training building, the bright sun contrasting greatly with the dark rooms they'd been in. "That lifted truck is gorgeous and the babe in the front seat is sexy, too." He motioned to the truck sitting in the front row of the parking lot. Troy looked up smirking, he knew the truck and the "sexy babe" all too well. He nudged Sean, pointing at Cassandra.

"I bet I could get her number." Troy said, nonchalantly, changing his route and walking toward his truck. Gabriella sat in the driver's seat applying eyeliner, completely consumed in what she was doing and unaware of the approaching Troy. Sean shook his head and followed a few steps behind Troy, in disbelief that Troy was actually attempting this. "Twenty?" Troy called behind his back, deciding on an amount.

Sean nodding, thinking he was going to win an easy twenty bucks. Without hesitation, Troy sauntered up to the door of the truck and knocked on the window, winking when he and Gabriella made eye contact. He gestured over his shoulder to Sean, trying to get his message across. Gabriella furrowed her brow and opened the door, looking down at Troy. "Shhhh." he whispered, before mouthing. "Don't say anything."

Sean stood a few feet back, watching the scene unfold before him. His ears perked up as Troy began talking. "My friend and I couldn't help but notice you when we were walking by and I have to admit that you're very beautiful, Miss." Sean scoffed, which didn't go unnoticed by Troy.

"I was wonderin' if you were single..."

"That's sweet of you but I do have a boyfriend. I'm actually waiting for him right now." Gabriella told him, playing along once she understood what was going on.

"I don't want to get you in trouble, but what your boyfriend doesn't know won't hurt him. And he won't know if you happen to give me your number, y'know as friends?" Sean's jaw dropped behind Troy. He didn't know Troy to be that kind of guy but apparently he was.

"I guess it wouldn't hurt..." Gabriella said, her voice trailing off as she slid from the driver's seat with the help of Troy's hand. Troy pulled his phone out and handed it to Gabriella.

He leaned down, watching Gabriella pull her own name up in his phone. "What about a kiss- is that pushing it."

"Nah, I don't think so." Gabriella mumbled, standing on her toes and pulling Troy's head down to her's. She took Troy's bottom lip in between her lips and nibbled lightly, before letting his lips overtake hers. Sean rushed in, latching onto Troy's arm and pulling him back. "Dude, she said she has a boyfriend. Do you even know who it is? What the hell were you thinking?"

"That I could make a quick twenty dollars and that I hadn't seen my girl in a month." Troy told him, smirking as he stepped back toward Gabriella and wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"Wait, what?"

"I'm Gabriella." She interrupted, extending her hand for Sean to shake.

He looked back at her squinting his eyes, before flashing them to the smug looking Troy. Slowly extending his hand, he shook hers "So your boyfriend is Bolton?" She nodded. "And you played me?" He questioned, looking at Troy; who nodded in return. Sean reached into his wallet and pulled out two ten dollar bills. He handed Troy the money and punched him in the arm.

"Well, it was nice meeting you Gabriella- but I have to admit your boyfriend is an asshole." He told her chuckling as he turned around and made his way to the car that he and Troy had carpooled to the facility in.

Troy turned Gabriella around in his arms, resting his hands on the top curve of her butt. "Now that that's over...to what do I owe this surprise?"

"Um, I don't know. Maybe the fact that it's your birthday, babe."

"Oh, is it?" Troy mumbled, leaning into her lips once again.

"Happy Birthday, Tr-" She was cut off when his lips fell on her own and started moving slowly, making up for all of the time they'd spent apart. He pulled her close, running his pointer finger up her spine.

They pulled themselves out of each other's clutches as Troy rested his forehead against Gabriella's. "What do you have planned for me Ms. Montez?"

"I wanted to recreate our first date. A night under the stars." She told him, kissing his adam's apple. "I got your mom's recipe for some of the foods you like, it was my first time cooking southern food- so be nice to me."

"Brie, you drove all the way down here in my truck, which you hate; just to surprise me on my birthday. I'm going to be more than nice to you." He mumbled, as she walked him around to the other side of the truck. She opened the door and pushed him in, making her way back to the driver's side and hopping in. "So, what did you make?" He questioned, reaching for her hand after she put their destination into the GPS.

"Chicken-fried steak, mac and cheese, fried green tomatoes, and a pecan pie." She said, recalling the recipes Rebekah had sent her and hoping they were up to par.

"Sounds delicious...I don't know if I'll need the pie, though. I have my eyes set on something else for dessert." He quipped, trailing his eyes up her body. "Where are you taking me?"

"Just wait and see! I'm trying to be romantic, gosh." She told him, as she turned off onto a side road. They were surrounded by trees on both sides, but Troy could still see the beginning of the sun setting. The sky was filled with purples, pinks and deep reds as they ventured further into the woods. Troy ran his thumb along the back of Gabriella's hand. She turned onto a dirt road and drove further, the GPS calling out that their destination was four minutes away and on the left.

Gabriella smirked as she turned onto a long rocky path, she'd pulled off what she was hoping for. She glanced over and saw Troy's eyes meet the small cottage that she'd rented for the two of them. It was surrounded by trees on three sides and a lake in the back. Jutting out from the back of the house, was a long wooden pier. There was a wraparound porch, complete with a swing seat hanging toward the front. The cottage, itself, was two-stories and had a log cabin look to it. There was an open meadow-type space in front of the house, where Gabriella pulled the truck into. She turned toward Troy as she put turned the key and pulled it out, a hopeful smile on her face. "Do you like it? I figured we could spend some time out here watching the stars and sleep in the house. Then, in the morning we could go for a lake? I don't know, I was just thinking..."

"It's perfect, Brie." Troy mumbled against her hair, as he pulled her across the cab of the truck and into his embrace. "Anywhere you brought me would have been perfect."

Gabriella got out of the car, grabbing the blankets and pillows she'd brought. She tossed them into the bed of the truck, spreading them out to make it as comfortable as possible. Troy hopped out of the truck, making his way around the back of the truck to join her. "Is the food in the back?" He questioned, his hand on the back door of the truck.

"Yeah, but we're not eating until it's dark out; when we can see the stars." She told him, grabbing onto his hands and pulling him around the back of the truck. "Now, we're going to cuddle and watch the sunset."

They got into the bed of the truck, a pillow situated behind Troy's back as he leaned against up against the back window. Gabriella situated herself between his legs, with their interlaced hands in her lap. Troy rested his chin in Gabriella's hair, inhaling the scent he'd been deprived of for a month.

"Can I just take you back home with me?" Gabriella questioned hopefully, stretching her neck to look back at Troy.

"It'll only be a few more weeks, I'll be back in three weeks. Not even a month, now." He told her, his eyes watching the sun sink below the horizon; the sky getting increasingly darker.

* * *

Troy wiped his mouth, glancing up at Gabriella as she took a sip out of her water bottle. They'd just finished eating dinner; the pie she'd made sat in the center of the truck bed. "How was it?" Gabriella questioned, tossing her napkin onto her used plate.

Troy shrugged, scrunching up his face. "It wasn't terrible." He told her jokingly, adding a smirk to punctuate the statement. Gabriella gasped, before giggling and throwing her empty water bottle at him. Troy frowned, opening his arms. "Come here, please?"

Gabriella scooted closer to him, aligning her body next to his and stroking Troy's head until he laid it on her lap. He rolled over onto his back, so he could look up into Gabriella's eyes. "What are you thinking?" Gabriella questioned, running her hands along the top of his buzzed hair.

Troy shrugged, scanning the star filled sky. "You just surprised me, that's all. And I guess I still don't know a lot about you..."

"I'm all answers, tonight. What do you want to know Bolton?"

"What's your favorite thing about dance?" He questioned.

Gabriella smirked, it was one of those moments where a person's passion radiated from them, like rays of sun. "It's freedom. It's words in motion. It's the deepest most personal form of self expression. It's just art and raw emotion at it's finest." She returned, moving her hand lower and tracing his jaw line. "Next queston?"

"What was your last boyfriend like?"

"Oh, God..." Gabriella started, smirking to herself. "Carlo was the kinda guy I always thought I was gonna marry. 6'1, buff Italian, perfect tan, total douche bag." She told him as she rolled her eyes. "We're still pretty close, he wants to meet you..."

Troy sat up, catching her lips in a chaste kiss. "Just friends?"

"Just friends." Gabriella confirmed, nodding her head.

"What is it that Snooki calls herself; a meatball? You're like my own personal meatball, but not trashy..."

"I don't know if I should be offended that you just compared me to Snooki or just worried that you know that she refers to herself as a meatball."

Troy shrugged, resting all of his weight on one elbow. "Misti watches it, I may have caught a few episodes here and there. And I said you weren't trashy, so you have no reason to be offended."

Gabriella smiled, nudging Troy back down into her lap. "Blame it on Misti." She mumbled. "Any more questions, Detective?" And he did. They lay in the bed of his truck for hours, Troy firing off questions, mostly trivial, and Gabriella answering them. The moon had long since taken over the sky, but now the sky was starting to lighten- the sun trying to break through.

"Did we really stay like this all night?" Gabriella mumbled tiredly, looking up at the remaining bit of nightsky.

"Yeah.." Troy told her, sitting up to face her. "Does that mean I'm not getting a little birthday lovin'?

Gabriella rolled her eyes, moving closer and straddling Troy's legs. "My mom always said that your birthdays not over until sunlight the next day. So," She tilted her head up, looking at the still-darkened sky. Troy used the position to his advantage, kissing down her neck. "you've still got some time, birthday boy."

"Really?" He questioned, with a smug grin as Gabriella began grinding into him. His eyes snapped shut, a month away from each other seemed to have heightened their senses. Every little touch from Gabriella ignited a fire inside him and vice versa. They'd barely even begun, but their breathing was labored, their faces were flushed, and they were on edge. Gabriella clawed at the bottom of his shirt, desperately needing to rid him of clothing. She reattached her lips to his and in the blink of an eye, they were completely naked, going at it in the back of Troy's truck with the moonlight and the trees as their shield from the world around them.

* * *

Troy rolled over, letting his hand trail from Gabriella's jugular notch down between her breasts and eventually circling her belly button.

He brought his hand back up, this time right over her Cupid's Bow and brushing back down to the valley between her breasts. He stopped, looking up into Gabriella's face- her eyes were closed and her breathing had evened out. He wasn't sure if she was sleeping or not..."Brie?"

Gabriella's eyebrow quirked but her eyes remained closed. "I knew you wouldn't let me sleep!" She whined, not yet looking at him. "What do you want, Bolton?"

"One more question?"

"And then I can sleep?" She mumbled, pulling one of the blankets up over her torso when she finally sat up to look back at him. Troy nodded at her, his eye more serious than they had been earlier in the night.

"Do you think you can do this?" He motioned between the two of them, looking into her eyes as if he were searching for something. "Like can you see yourself being with me for the long haul with deployments and training and all of that shit? Because, I mean I'm invested in this now and I don't want to get even more attached to you if we're not on the same page."

"Did I give you the idea that I wasn't? Troy, I wouldn't have been with you for this long if I didn't see a future. I don't know how or why I fell in love with a country boy in the military, but I did. I'm not one to give up when everything isn't easy breezing, the tough times make it worth it. That means you're stuck with me because I'm not going anywhere. Now, can I go to sleep?" She questioned, giggling at the shocked expression on his face at the ending to her speech. He'd clearly expected something different. "I mean what kind of Nicholas Sparks novel did you fall out of; what guy wants to get sappy at the crack of dawn? I need my sleep!"

* * *

"Why aren't you in the water?" Troy demanded of Gabriella who was currently lying out on the pier. "You're already tan! You were fucking born that way. Get in."

"Now that I'm right next to it, I'm not sure how I feel about lake swimming- this looks pretty gross."

"And the water at the Jersey Shore is much cleaner?"

"I've been swimming in that since I was little and I'm still here!"

"And I've been swimming in lakes forever and well whattaya know, so am I." He challenged, swimming right up to where her feet hung from the pier. "Now get in this perfectly give lake water."

Gabriella opened get mouth, ready to shout get response back when she felt his hands wrap around her ankles. Get eyes widened in realization. "N-no, no. Don't you dare." But he did, with a simple tug she was rooted from her spot and plunged into the water directly in front of Troy.

Once she resurfaced, yet eyes meet Troy's in a glare. "What time do you have to be back?" She questioned jokingly, as if she were itching to get rid of him.

"Eight tonight is curfew." He told her pulling her closer to him and pulling on the string of her bikini bottoms. And eight came too soon. Before she knew it she was parked at the gates of the base, letting Troy out of the truck. He looked over at her, watching as she unclipped her seatbelt and turned toward him.

"Three more weeks?" She questioned, looking down at her thumbs as she fiddled them.

"Three more weeks." He confirmed, pulling her over into his lap. He planted a kiss to her lips while he trained her curls back with his hand. "And you better be waiting for me."

"I'll be there." She told him, wrapping her arms completely around his abdomen and placing her cheek on his chest. "And Fitz'll be there, too...but he'll be a little mad that you're taking his side of the bed."

Troy smirked at her, before kissing her one more time and pulling the door handle. "I think you'll enjoy my company a little more than Fitz's." He told her, winking while he hopped down from the truck.

* * *

**A/N: This has not been my summer. Sorry for the delay. I hope you guys like it, I promise that the wait for the next chapter will be much shorter. Thanks for sticking with me, your reviews have been lovely. This probably has a thousand mistakes, sorry for that, too. I'm sorry if this note seems detached but the Zimmerman ruling affected me more than I thought it would and my heart is pretty heavy right now. Anyway, sorry for that random tidbit into my sentimentality. lol Please keep reading and reviewing, we're in the homestretch now!  
love as always,  
dev.(:**


	10. Chapter 10: Coming Home

**Chapter 10: Coming Home**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the song or the characters. Plots all mine, though.**

"_I heard his voice today  
__I didn't know a single word he said  
__Not one resemblance to the man I met  
__Just a vacant broken boy instead  
__But I won't go  
__I can't do it on my own  
__If this ain't love, then what is?  
__I'm willing to take the risk  
__There will be times  
__We'll try and give it up  
__Bursting at the seams, no doubt  
__We'll almost fall apart then burn the pieces  
__To watch them turn to dust  
__But nothing will ever taint us"_

_He Won't Go by Adele_

* * *

**April 30, 2013**

She couldn't sleep. Rolling over, her eyes traced the outline of Troy's sleeping figure. He was on his side, facing away from her; the rise and fall of his body were the only sign that he was still with her. He'd joined her in bed and immediately turned off the light on his side, laid down and went to sleep; not even glancing in her direction or saying a simple "Good night." But that had been a while ago, four hours to be exact, and Gabriella had yet to get a wink of sleep.

Sitting up, she moved her feet around at the foot of the bed in search of her slippers. She made her way into the kitchen, trying her hardest not to wake Troy or Fitz, who slept at the bottom of their bed. Her body relaxed into one of the stools that sat at the counter and let her head fall to the cool surface of the counter. The doctors kept telling her she had to give him space and time but they didn't have that much time left; she was due in a month. Something had to be done before the baby came or she was going to be a single mother; not literally but with the distance she felt between herself and Troy, she might as well have been. A drink, she wanted a drink. Her head sprung up, looking around the kitchen before quickly sinking down again. She couldn't have a drink.

Instead, she'd clean. It had always made her feel better, scrubbing and scouring helped to rid her of whatever demons were haunting her. Under the sink were yellow gloves, a bucket, and a scrub brush. Grabbing them all, she set out, filling the bucket with hot water and bleach and snapping the gloves into place on her hands. Before long, she was on all fours scrubbing the kitchen floor with the brush. She let the smell of the bleach fill her nostrils and consume all of the negative thoughts that had been rushing through her mind.

She saw the floor as their relationship; a dirty mess. But she could clean away all of the crap that had built up in their relationship. Gabriella just had to scrub at the layer that Troy had built around himself to get back to the best Troy, her Troy. She hadn't realized how hard she was working herself, her back started to hurt and she had a funny feeling along the lower side of her abdomen. She sat up and scooted back until her back rested against the refrigerator; placing her hand on her stomach, where she felt the pain. Her head fell back against the door and she waited hoping the pain would pass. "Shit..." She uttered, a little too loudly while the pain continued to radiate through her stomach.

She flung her hand to the side, trying to gain enough leverage to hoist herself up and inadvertently knocked the bucket and brush across the room. "You've got to be fucking kidding me!" Just then Troy appeared in the entryway to the kitchen, sleepily rubbing his eye.

"Brie, what's wrong?" He asked, after assessing the situation. His eyes were locked on the hand against her stomach. He called her Brie...that was a good sign, right? She'd been strictly Gabriella to him since he'd woken up, except for once.

"Nothing. Just let me clean up this water and I'll come back to bed." She told him, turning to go get a towel to sop up the water.

"Gabriella, " They were back to that. "you were cleaning the floor at two o'clock in the morning, you screamed, and now you're holdin' your stomach. There's something wrong, you clean when there's something wrong."

"You, Troy. I'm worried about you." She said, not looking up to make eye contact. She feared that tears would spill from her eyes if she did and that was not her. She did not cry. Strong Jersey girls did not cry. She was Latin and Italian, two of the loudest, strongest types of people. She was not going to cry right now.

"Well, you have nothing to worry about. Just focus on you and the baby. I'm getting better, I promise." He told her, ending the sentence with a quiet sigh. Go lay down. I'll get this up and be in soon." He told her running his hand up her arm and onto her back, rubbing before sending her on her way.

Ten minutes later when Troy peaked in the room, she pretended to be asleep, snuggling into the plush blankets and pillows. And he didn't come back to bed at all. And she didn't sleep. But she didn't let him know that; she also didn't let him know that she couldn't take much more what had been going on. But what could she do; you can't force someone to heal when they don't want to. So, she was going to wait. Just a little longer and hope that something would click in him and he would change- for the better.

Even with her hope, it was the first time since they'd gotten together that she thought that maybe she and Troy weren't as perfect they seemed. Maybe they couldn't make it work. It was so hard to tell, everything was changing so quickly between them. Maybe their dynamic would never be the same.

* * *

**September 6, 2012**

Gabriella rolled over, letting her eyes fall to the clock hanging on the wall. 6:28; Troy would be home in two hours and thirty-two minutes. She smiled, letting her hand fall down to where Fitz had laid his head across her stomach and giving him a small pat on the head. Without hesitation, she cuddled back into her pillow and drifted back to sleep. Before her alarm had the chance to wake her up, the sound of Fitz's barking sounded from the front of the house. Rolling her eyes, as he probably just wanted to be let outside, she threw a hoodie on and made her way toward where the barking was coming from. She glanced at the clock and saw it wasn't even eight yet, meaning she could still get a little bit of sleep in before she went to pick up Troy.

"Shhh..." Gabriella paused, listening again to see if she'd heard correctly. "Shhh.. buddy. Don't wake up your mom."

Gabriella furrowed her brows as she walked closer to the voice and the barking. Rounding the corner, she saw the back of a figure hunched over Fitz, trying to quell his barking. She instantly knew who it was. "Troy..." He turned and she ran into his arms, latching her legs around his waist. "You weren't supposed to land until nine."

"I know, but I got an earlier flight and I was gonna surprise you with breakfast in bed until your little attack dog got me."

"Well I need to hop in the shower, why don't you start on breakfast and I'll help you finish up when I get out." She said, dropping her legs back to the ground. "And you can meet me in the bedroom when you finish up."

Gabriella made her way back into the bedroom to grab her clothes for the day. After deciding on jeans and a tank, as it was still pretty warm outside, she headed into the bathroom. Back in the kitchen, Troy sat out eggs, turkey bacon, and frozen french toast sticks. He wasn't much of a chef, but he could master the basics of breakfast, especially with the involvement of frozen items. He quickly got to work scrambling the eggs while the french toast cooked in the oven. On a second pan, he laid out the bacon.

\\

"Brie..." Troy called out, walking into the room with their tray of food. "Breakfast is ready." Before Gabriella even went from the bathroom to the bedroom, she could smell the food. The bacon was slightly burnt, the egg smell was overpowering and she could only smell the cinnamon from the french toast sticks. The triad of smells was nauseating, but she couldn't let Troy down as he had put so much work into cooking the breakfast tomorrow.

She went and sat in the bed, trying her hardest not to breathe through her nose. Troy looked at Gabriella's face and though he could tell that she wanted him to think she was eager to eat, her eyes gave her away.

"It looks like I overestimated my cookin' skills..." Troy ventured.

"No, no, no." Gabriella told him, reaching out and grabbing a piece of bacon. She took a bite to get her point across. She chewed and swallowed, and forked some of the eggs into her mouth. The fork was already halfway to her mouth when she noticed how runny they were, and they were already sloshing around in her mouth when she realized that she wouldn't be able to hold them down.

"Fuck." Troy uttered as Gabriella hopped up and ran to the toilet. He followed after but she had already locked the door. "Gabriella, can you open up?" He called.

"I'm fine, babe, just give me a second. I'll be right out." He turned on his heels, just as the water began to run, to get the food cleaned up before she came back out. Scraping the food into the trashcan in the kitchen, he grabbed crackers and a glass of ginger ale to settle her stomach and went back to the bathroom door to wait for Gabriella.

"Leave it to me to ruin everything as soon as I get back." He mumbled, kissing her hair and handing her the ginger ale as a peace offering.

"You didn't ruin anything, I'm fine. Cooking just might not be your strong suit." She said, walking into the living room and plopping down on the couch. "But thanks for the thought."

"So, are we just hangin' around the house today? We can go out tomorrow when you feel a little better." Troy said, sitting down next to Gabriella and pulling her feet into his lap.

Gabriella looked at him as if he'd lost his mind. "No! I've been waiting for us to have alone time since you left. We're going out. Tonight is date night."

* * *

Troy took her into the next town over, which had more restaurant options for them to choose from. They decided to go to a tavern, that had just opened. As soon as they walked in, she honed in on the lobster tank on the left side of the restaurant. The smell radiated throughout the air. As Troy talked to the hostess about seating them, Gabriella tugged at his arm. "Can you ask her for a seat away from the tank, please."

"Yeah, sure." He mumbled, toward her.

Sitting at a booth in the far right corner of the restaurant, Troy looked over the menu. "Hey, what was that about?" Gabriella looked up at him over her menu, furrowing her brows. "Y'know that whole away from the tank deal."

"I just didn't want to smell it. I don't think my stomach's completely settled from this morning." She said, shrugging her shoulders.

Their food came; Gabriella having gone with a grilled chicken ceaser salad, while Troy had a steak. The conversation had flowed easily throughout the meal. They had missed this face-to-face dynamic the two of them had. Video chatting and phone calls just didn't cut it for the pair. As Gabriella decided that she did in fact want to try the chocolate mousse for dessert, she looked up to see Troy's eyes locked on her.

A blush crept onto her cheeks at the look in his eyes. "What?" She questioned, smirking at him.

"I like this."

"This?"

Troy smirked back at her, reaching and rubbing his thumb along the back of her hand. "Breakfast with you. Spending the day on the couch with you. Dinner with just the two of us. I like it. It's easy."

Gabriella smiled back at him. "I like it, too."

A look of contemplation played out in Troy's eyes. "Then move in with me." He saw Gabriella's surprise immediately. "You've been staying there the past few months, Brie. We don't know when I'll have to go away again; don't you want to be together while we can."

"Are you sure about that? We still haven't even been together that long." Troy's look told her that he was serious, without him having to say a word. "Okay...but I'm keeping my apartment until the new year; if everything is still running smoothly with us, I'll end the lease.

"You're not gonna need it." He mumbled, drawing circles on the back of her hand.

"You never know." She told him matter of factly.

"I know that you're not goin' anywhere."

"Says who?"

"Me."

"Well...if I'm not going anywhere, why do we need to live together so soon? There will be plenty of time in the future."

Their waitress came by and dropped off Gabriella's dessert and the check. Troy watched as she quickly tucked into the small bowl of mousse, before he responded. "Brie, you're bein' difficult." He pushed his credit card down into the pocket of the check holder.

She paused from the dessert to look up at him, before a deep sigh escaped her. "I'm not, Troy. How do we know that it's going to work?"

"We don't." His gaze held hers. "And we won't if we don't give it a shot."

Gabriella looked down, still unsure of the arrangement. "Keep the apartment for as long as you want. You already have clothes at my house, Fitz is there. Just try it out. Like a trial run."

"I'll think about it."

* * *

Troy ran his hand along Gabriella's spine as they lay in bed, their breathing having evened out after the night's events. The only light and sound in the room came from the television where Friends was on, despite being unwatched. Gabriella had her cheek against Troy's bare chest and Fitz had nuzzled himself between their stomachs. "Troy.." Gabriella called, softly, checking to see if he was still awake.

"Mmm?"

"Yes." Troy opened one eye and raised a brow, looking down at her. She looked up at him before placing a peck to his chest. "Yes, I'll move in. But I'm gonna keep my apartment, just for a little bit."

Troy's eye closed once again, while a smile graced his face. Without another word, he reached over and turned the television off. He pulled Gabriella into him and pressed his nose into her hair. And that night as they fell asleep, both of them had the same thought; that they could get used to the feeling of being wrapped in the arms of the person that meant the most to them.

* * *

**_A/N: Did you guys get the parallel with the beds? How they were so content just to lay in each other's company and now she can't sleep and he didn't come back to bed. I don't know, I tried. It made sense to me haha. Sorry for mistakes. It's 2 in the morning and this is pretty much the only time I have to write, so editing is minimal. Thanks for sticking with me. Reviews are always welcome, even though you all probably hate me for this being so short and taking forever to update._**  
**_love as always,_**  
**_dev.(:_**


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